MARIJUANA QUESTION BACKER SAYS FOE FUDGING ARREST NUMBERS

CARSON CITY -- The leader of the group backing legal marijuana accused an
opponent Monday of lying about the number of people being arrested for
marijuana possession in Clark County.

Billy Rogers, the chief of Nevadans for Responsible Law Enforcement, said
the Metropolitan Police Department reported on its Web site that it made
187 arrests for marijuana possession in June. At that rate, more than 2,000
people will be arrested this year for marijuana possession in the county,
he said.

The latest arrest figure contrasts with statements made by marijuana
opponent Gary Booker in a televised debate last week. Booker, a deputy
district attorney, said that 50 people had been arrested in Clark County
for marijuana possession in the first half of 2002.

"We have said all along that law enforcement officers spend too much time
arresting people for small amounts of marijuana," Rogers said. "These
numbers are almost exactly the same as when the possession of marijuana was
a felony."

Until a new law went into effect in October 2001, possession of any amount
of marijuana was a felony. Now, possession of 1 ounce or less is a
misdemeanor punishable by a $600 fine.

Booker said Monday he received his information on marijuana arrests from
the Clark County Detention Center and narcotics officer Todd Raybuck.

Only 50 people were arrested for marijuana possession in the first half of
the year, Booker said, when marijuana was the only charge against them.

The larger number included people arrested for burglary, domestic violence
and other crimes who possessed a small amount of marijuana, he said.

Rogers said Booker made no disclaimer in their television debate and
accused him of deliberately trying to mislead voters on Question 9.

Adult Nevadans could possess as much as 3 ounces of marijuana if voters
pass the question Nov. 5 and again in 2004.

"They have repeatedly said only 50 arrests period with no disclaimers and
no qualifications," Rogers said. "Now they want to say 50 arrests solely
for marijuana. They are asking you once again to take their word for it."

On a tape of the debate, Booker said that of the 50 arrests "none of them
were solely for marijuana" when actually those arrests were solely for
marijuana.

Raybuck said he has been clear in his public statements that more than 50
marijuana arrests have occurred in 2002.

"The 187 arrests in June includes people arrested for burglary, robbery and
other crimes," Raybuck said. "Forty-nine people were arrested (in the first
half of 2002) for the single-only charge of marijuana."

Raybuck said he does not now have figures on the total number of marijuana
arrests in Clark County in the first half of 2002 but will try to get them.
He said the FBI does not require law enforcement agencies to report the
instances when people were arrested on marijuana charges only.

Rogers said the latest discrepancy is one of several misleading statements
made by Booker and others who oppose Question 9.

"They clearly have something to hide," he said. "There is no reason to
believe anything they say unless they show you the numbers."

In an earlier interview, Booker told the Review-Journal: "We just don't
arrest people for marijuana unless they are involved with something else.
Marijuana possession is treated now just like a traffic ticket. We used to
have 5,000 cases a year."

Booker said Monday that under a new grant the Clark County Detention Center
conducts blood tests of prisoners and has found that 30 percent to 40
percent of all inmates have used marijuana.

"Thirty to 40 percent of the people arrested for battery (in domestic
violence situations) have marijuana in their blood," he said.