PETITIONERS FOR MARIJUANA FILE SIGNATURES

LAS VEGAS - A group seeking to legalize small amounts of marijuana in
Nevada filed paperwork Tuesday that would compel state lawmakers to
take up the issue during next year's legislative session.

The Committee to Regulate and Control Marijuana has filed 84,665
signatures in five counties. They need a minimum of 51,337 signatures
of registered voters to qualify.

"The marijuana regulation initiative makes sense because it gives
society control over marijuana, while our current prohibition policies
keep marijuana completely uncontrolled," Rob Kampia, executive
director of the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C., said in
a statement.

Kampia was in Las Vegas to turn in signatures and help promote the
Nevada initiative, which would legalize possession of up to 1 ounce of
marijuana by adults in the state.

If the signatures were verified, state lawmakers would have to
consider passing it during the first 40 days of the 2005 session. If
they don't, it automatically goes on the 2006 ballot.

Larry Sandell with the Committee to Regulate and Control Marijuana
said the group doesn't expect the Legislature to pass the initiative,
but hopes a discussion of the issue will help their cause.

"It's ... important for the Legislature to have this debate before it
goes to the people," Sandell said. "It will help bring more light to
the issue and legitimize it."

The group failed to get the required signatures needed to qualify for
the Nov. 2 ballot. Group officials said the petition would have
qualified if a federal judge had allowed about 2,000 signatures of
newly registered voters whose information had not been immediately
forwarded to election registrars.

The committee appealed to the 9th Circuit Court but lost on a 2-1
panel vote, and their request for a rehearing before the full court
was refused.

"Nevada voters were deprived of the chance to vote on our marijuana
regulation initiative a few days ago, but they will have the
opportunity to do so in November 2006," Sandell said.

Nevada voters have approved the use of marijuana for medical reasons,
but in 2002 overwhelmingly rejected the measure to legalize up to 3
ounces of marijuana.

The latest plan would increase penalties for providing marijuana to
minors or for causing a fatal accident while driving under the
influence of the substance. Sale of marijuana would be taxed, and
revenue would be earmarked for drug and alcohol treatment and
education programs.

On the Net: Marijuana Policy Project in Nevada, www.mpp.org/NV/.