Gambling, prostitution, and now pot? Organizers of a Nevada ballot measure hope voters in a state where almost everything goes will go one better and legalize marijuana. If it passes Nov. 7, Nevada will be the first state to allow adults to possess up to an ounce of pot that they could buy at government-regulated marijuana shops.
About the Initiative
If passed by a majority of Nevada voters, the initiative would:
1. eliminate the threat of arrest and jail for adults aged 21 and older who responsibly use and possess up to one ounce of marijuana (which is the equivalent of one-and-a-half packs of cigarettes);
2. regulate the manufacture, taxation, and sale of marijuana, whereby establishments that are licensed to sell tobacco will also be permitted to sell marijuana, provided that they neither sell alcohol nor are within 500 feet of a school or place of worship. Gas stations, convenience stores, grocery stores, casinos, and dance halls would also be prohibited from selling marijuana.
3. earmark half of marijuana-related licensing fees and tax revenues to alcohol and drug treatment and education, with the other half going to the state's general fund;
4. maintain penalties for underage marijuana use, smoking marijuana in public, using or possessing marijuana on school grounds or in prisons, and transporting marijuana across state lines;
5. increase penalties for providing marijuana to minors, as well as for motorists who kill someone while under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, or any other substance; and
6. take effect on November 28, 2006, if a majority of Nevada voters pass the initiative in November 2006.
This initiative would benefit Nevadans in numerous ways. It would:
* Allow police to focus on serious crimes. By removing marijuana from the criminal market, the initiative would free up police time so police officers can focus on violent crimes, property crimes, and people who drive under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, or any other substance. According to the latest FBI statistics, Nevada's violent-crime rate is 7th highest among the 50 states.
* Generate tax revenues for drug education and treatment. The initiative requires that adults who use marijuana legally in the privacy of their homes must obtain their marijuana from legally regulated businesses, thereby generating tax revenues for the state rather than profits for drug dealers. According to a study released by the University of Nevada at Las Vegas in 2002, regulating marijuana would generate $28 million in annual tax revenues. (You can download the study here.) The initiative would earmark half of this money for drug education and rehabilitation programs, which currently receive only $13.5 million annually from the state.
* Make the roads safer. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number of alcohol-related auto fatalities in Nevada rose 29% from 2001 to 2002. And 45% of car-crash deaths in Nevada were alcohol-related -- the 10th highest rate in the nation. By liberating the police from having to hunt down marijuana users, the initiative would allow police to spend more time on the roadways to intercept and arrest dangerous drivers, whether they are under the influence of marijuana, alcohol, or any other substance. And, if a motorist kills someone while under the influence of marijuana or any other substance, the initiative doubles the maximum fine and prison sentence for people convicted of such offenses.
Nevada's current marijuana laws are costly, they have failed to prevent teenagers from using marijuana, and they keep police from focusing on DUI and other real crimes. Bringing marijuana into a regulated system will serve all Nevadans well.
Please donate to CRCM's initiative campaign today.
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