PETITIONS PASS MUSTER: MARIJUANA PROPOSAL TO BE ON BALLOT

Measure Would Allow Adults To Possess Small Amounts Of Substance

CARSON CITY -- Nevada voters will be asked in November whether adults
should be allowed to possess small amounts of marijuana, the secretary of
state's office announced Tuesday.

Nevadans for Responsible Law Enforcement turned in 74,740 valid signatures
on petitions to change the state's marijuana laws, Deputy Secretary of
State Susan Bilyeu said. The organization, an offshoot of the Washington,
D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project, needed at least 61,336 valid
signatures to place the question on the Nov. 5 general election ballot.

The proposal to allow adults to possess as much as three ounces of
marijuana without police interference needs approval in the November
election and again in 2004 to become part of the Nevada Constitution.

"The success of our petition provides solid evidence that most Nevadans
think it is a waste of their tax dollars to arrest people with small
amounts of marijuana," said Billy Rogers, a spokesman for Nevadans for
Responsible Law Enforcement.

"Nevadans support this initiative because it allows law enforcement the
resources to track down terrorists, murderers, rapists and other violent
criminals."

FBI records show the number of people arrested on marijuana charges
nationally reached nearly 750,000 in 2000, up from fewer than 300,000 in 1991.

Until last year, Nevada had the strictest marijuana law in the nation.
People possessing any amount of marijuana could be charged with a felony,
although most received lesser charges in exchange for attending drug
treatment programs. Possession of one ounce or less of marijuana in Nevada
is now a misdemeanor, punishable by a $600 fine.

Under the Nevadans for Responsible Law Enforcement proposal, adults would
not be arrested if they possessed three ounces or less of marijuana. They
still could not use the drug in public places or while driving.

The petition also calls for the state to set up a distribution plan to
provide medical marijuana to qualified patients.

Currently, 185 people in Nevada have permission to use marijuana for
medical reasons. They must grow their own marijuana. How they acquire seeds
is left up to the qualified users.

Besides meeting the total signature requirement, Bilyeu said Nevadans for
Responsible Law Enforcement met a second requirement by collecting a
sufficient number of signatures in 14 of the state's 17 counties, falling
short only in Douglas, Elko and Nye counties. Under state law, sufficient
signatures had to be collected in at least 13 counties.

While permitting adults to use small amounts of marijuana, Rogers said this
proposal recognizes the need to prevent irresponsible use of marijuana by
minors and drivers.

"Today, responsible and other law-abiding citizens face arrest and
imprisonment for possessing small amounts of marijuana," he said.

"This initiative will protect responsible people and punish those who use
irresponsibly."