2004 Marijuana Initiative Changes Current Laws That Don't Work

NEW INITIATIVE TO REGULATE MARIJUANA

CARSON CITY, NEVADA - The Committee to Regulate and Control Marijuana
filed an initiative with the Nevada Secretary of State's office that
strictly regulates marijuana and imposes penalties on those who
deliver marijuana to minors.

'We're filing this initiative because current marijuana laws don't
work,' said CRCM Communications Director Jennifer Knight. 'The 2004
Marijuana Initiative will reduce teenage marijuana use by strictly
regulating marijuana.' The initiative would:

* Allow adults to possess up to one ounce of marijuana and use it in
private.

* Increase penalties for delivering marijuana to a
minor.

* Increase penalties for vehicular homicide while under the influence
of marijuana.

* Strictly regulate marijuana.

* Tax the sale of marijuana and dedicate revenue to drug and alcohol
treatment and education.

'Current marijuana laws don't work because 67 percent of Nevada's high
school seniors have tried marijuana,' Knight said. The 2004 Marijuana
Initiative will reduce teenage marijuana use by strictly regulating
the sale of marijuana in state-licensed shops and impose severe
penalties for those who give or sell marijuana to minors.

Under current law, anyone who is convicted of first-offense delivery
of marijuana to a minor faces 1-4 years in prison. The 2004 Marijuana
Initiative will increase the first-offense penalty to 1-10 years.
Second and subsequent offense delivery of a controlled substance,
including marijuana, to a minor currently carries a penalty of up to
life in prison. The 2004 initiative reiterates this penalty.

'The 2004 Marijuana Initiative attacks teenage marijuana use on two
fronts. First, it sets up a system of strict regulation that takes
marijuana out of the hands of drug dealers and puts it into the hands
of a state-regulated and licensed system that strictly regulates the
sale of marijuana. Second, it imposes severe penalties on those who
give or sell marijuana to our children,' Knight said.

CRCM also announced today that Andy Anderson, a retired 29-year street
cop and former president of the Nevada Conference of Police and
Sheriffs, will serve as campaign manager; Jennifer Knight, a former
reporter at the Las Vegas Sun, will serve as communications director;
and The Southwest Group will provide strategic guidance to the
campaign and conduct the petition drive to put the measure on the ballot.

CRCM has received initial funding of $150,000.00 from the Washington
DC-based Marijuana Policy Project (MPP). For more information about
the Nevada Initiative or the Marijuana Policy Project visit:
www.mpp.org