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Dope Vote Lights Up Las Vegas
Sunday Herald ^ | 22 September 2002 | Timothy Pratt

Posted on 09/23/2002 12:37:00 PM PDT by JediGirl

As the fall elections draw near in this non-presidential year, an unlikely battleground in America's war on drugs has appeared in the middle of the desert, like a shifting mirage -- Las Vegas. Home to 1.4 million of Nevada's two million residents, the city's greater metropolitan area has the chance, come November 5, to vote on what would be the most far-reaching reform to America's drug laws since marijuana was made illegal in 1937.

'A lot is at stake here,' said Krissy Oechs lin, spokeswoman for the Washington- based Marijuana Policy Project, the organisation putting up more than $1 million to mount Nevada's campaign. 'People are looking at this to see if the reform of marijuana laws is possible nationwide.'

Arguing that the police are too busy chasing reefer when they could be chasing robbers, a group, calling itself Nevadans For Responsible Law Enforcement, convinced more than 100,000 of the state's citizens to place a question on the ballot that would legalise possession of less than three ounces of marijuana and earn the state taxes from its regulated sale to adults over 21.

The number of signatures gained in July's 100¡F heat broke records in the quick- growing state's political history, said Billy Rogers, director of the campaign. Early polls showed a near-even split. Then, in a move that caught observers by surprise, the Nevada Conference of Police and Sheriffs (NCOPS), the state's law enforcement organisation, announced its support for the initiative.

'Violent crime is on the rise and terrorism remains a real threat,' said Andy Anderson, the organisation's president. Our priorities have changed and, with our limited resources, so should our laws.'

In a matter of days, police accused Anderson of misinterpreting the will of his members. NCOPS reversed its position and Anderson resigned. By this time question nine had attracted national attention from the media and the federal government.

Nevada has already seen reform of the marijuana laws. By popular vote in 2000, it one of nine states where it is legal for patients with a doctor's prescription to use the drug for medical purposes and, in the process, reduced penalties for possession of less than an ounce. But these laws have pitted the feds against these states, as buying and selling marijuana remains illegal. It came to a head last week when federal Drug Enforcement Administration officials raided a California farm that grows marijuana for the ill. They were answered by a city hall smoke-in of the sick, joined by the local mayor and officials (who didn't light up).

On Tuesday, the nation's so-called drug tsar, John Walters, announced he would visit Nevada on October 9 and 10 to lobby against question nine. 'I am going into every state that has a ballot initiative and working with people in community coalitions,' Walters, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, told a Las Vegas newspaper.

This, said Oechslin, may be the campaign's biggest obstacle. 'We're going up against the federal government, which has unlimited money to uphold drug policy,' she said. Last week Walters's office launched the latest instalment of a five-year- old anti-drug advertising campaign which costs taxpayers $180m a year.

Allen St Pierre, executive director of the National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws -- the nation's oldest and largest such group, founded in 1970 -- said the feds might have left the state alone if the measure only sought decriminalisation, but will pull out all the stops to prevent Nevada from regulating marijuana sales.

'I just don't think the idea of the state distributing marijuana will withstand federal pressure,' he said. At the same time, he said Nevada was as good a place as any to try. 'If you were to choose where to do this, Nevada is the right place. It enjoys a reputation for vice, tourism and, what is described in Washington, as Western libertarianism.'

The epicentre of vice -- at least in the minds of nearly 40 million tourists yearly -- is the several miles of casinos known as the Strip. At its September meeting, the State Board of Health's chairman, Joey Villaflor, explained why he was against question nine. 'Can you imagine -- the Strip would be flooded with marijuana!'

To Rogers this is the biggest obstacle facing the initiative -- 'the lies of the opposition'. The measure clearly states that marijuana smoking would still be illegal in public, including the Strip's casinos. 'This is about what people do in the privacy of their own homes,' he said.

In the end, it is the state's voters who must peer through the thickening haze of arguments. If a majority approves the question, it must get a yes vote again in 2004 to become law. Anecdotally it appears that more college-aged Nevadans are registering to vote than ever before -- perhaps to send out the message they want to light up and be left alone.

'A group of orange-haired kids with piercings everywhere came in and wanted to register people just to vote for this question,' said Larry Lomax, registrar with the Clark County board of elections.

'It's definitely going to be interesting,' said St Pierre. But he admits he is not optimistic. 'I think, given a straight-up, non-politicised vote, up to 58% of voters would support this. But the truth is, this issue is over-politicised to the extent few issues are in this country.'


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: drugs; marijuana; wod
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1 posted on 09/23/2002 12:37:00 PM PDT by JediGirl
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To: Wolfie; vin-one; WindMinstrel; headsonpikes; philman_36; Beach_Babe; jenny65; AUgrad; Xenalyte; ...
ping

If you'd like to be added or taken off of this ping list FReepmail me

2 posted on 09/23/2002 12:37:49 PM PDT by JediGirl
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Joey Villaflor, explained why he was against question nine. 'Can you imagine -- the Strip would be flooded with marijuana!'

Oh my God. And there would be rioting and looting and lions and tigers and bears. Oh my!
Sounds like this nitwit didn't read the legislation. Or doesn't care to.
3 posted on 09/23/2002 12:40:36 PM PDT by dyed_in_the_wool
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To: dyed_in_the_wool
"Dogs and cats, living together...Mass hysteria!"
4 posted on 09/23/2002 12:42:21 PM PDT by SteamshipTime
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To: dyed_in_the_wool
Joey Villaflor, explained why he was against question nine. 'Can you imagine -- the Strip would be flooded with marijuana!'

This is Vegas we're talking about here right?

5 posted on 09/23/2002 12:42:27 PM PDT by weikel
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To: dyed_in_the_wool
Joey Villaflor, explained why he was against question nine. 'Can you imagine -- the Strip would be flooded with [government taxed and controlled] marijuana!'
6 posted on 09/23/2002 12:42:57 PM PDT by AppyPappy
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To: JediGirl
Two comments

1. Legalization of marijuana for personal use is inevitable. It may not happen right away, but it will happen. You've got tens of millions of people using it now in technical violation of the law. This is an issue that is gaining traction and the trend has been purely in one direction, toward legalization. This one is going to happen.

2. The position of the cops on this one is strange. First they are for it and then they are against it. Seems like maybe someone on the federal level exerted some not so subtle pressure. If I were a cop, I would want these laws off the books, as it just complicates my job. Laws that are not uniformly enforced are trouble for everyone, cops included, and there is no way a marijuana law can be uniformly enforced. Why the flip-flop?
7 posted on 09/23/2002 12:45:07 PM PDT by 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten
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To: AppyPappy
If pot is legal, I don't think the Guv and effectively tax and control it. Just too easy to grow in the lower 48.
8 posted on 09/23/2002 12:45:34 PM PDT by dyed_in_the_wool
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To: JediGirl
Hey, didn't the DEA get in trouble recently for using their money to campaign against state initiatives? How is our "esteemed" Czar getting away with it now?
9 posted on 09/23/2002 1:04:15 PM PDT by WyldKard
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To: SteamshipTime
"Dogs and cats, living together...Mass hysteria!"

Oh my goodness and that evil devil weed legalized.
protect your white women, quickly....
10 posted on 09/23/2002 1:14:42 PM PDT by vin-one
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To: 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten
Laws that are not uniformly enforced are trouble for everyone, cops included, and there is no way a marijuana law can be uniformly enforced. Why the flip-flop?

If I had to venture a guess, I'd say you could spell the reason u-n-i-o-n.

11 posted on 09/23/2002 1:19:33 PM PDT by Hemingway's Ghost
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To: WyldKard
Hey, didn't the DEA get in trouble recently for using their money to campaign against state initiatives? How is our "esteemed" Czar getting away with it now?

I remember the Reno Justice Department getting blasted to hell and back on this forum for using fed resources to campagin against the CCW referendum in Missouri.

12 posted on 09/23/2002 1:24:20 PM PDT by tacticalogic
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To: JediGirl

13 posted on 09/23/2002 1:27:02 PM PDT by The FRugitive
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To: JediGirl
Vegas led the country when it came to legalizing gambling
Maybe the same thing will occur for POT
14 posted on 09/23/2002 2:15:06 PM PDT by uncbob
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To: uncbob
"Vegas led the country when it came to legalizing gambling.
Maybe the same thing will occur for POT."

Don't forget prostitution. Nevadans should be so proud.

15 posted on 09/23/2002 2:41:25 PM PDT by robertpaulsen
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To: JediGirl
They could invite the SD, CA. van Dams-- the poster family for illegal drug use and alcohol abuse to appear at their pro-legalization rallies. The bleeding hearts could hear how the VDz were too embarrassed to tell LE about their illegal drug use, how they tried to protect their children from knowing, and how they thought their drug-lifestyle had nothing to do with their daughter's fateful disappearance. They could say they weren't forthcoming in their initial and subsequent police interviews because they worried that what they did in the privacy of their own home and down at the local bar parking lot was woefully illegal, but... how could it be wrong... when it feels so right? /sarcasm
16 posted on 09/23/2002 2:43:17 PM PDT by let freedom sing
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To: JediGirl
"'A group of orange-haired kids with piercings everywhere came in and wanted to register people just to vote for this question,' said Larry Lomax, registrar with the Clark County board of elections."

Geez, I wonder if they'll register as Republicans.....maybe democRATS.... hmmmmm...What party best represents their interests?

17 posted on 09/23/2002 2:43:32 PM PDT by robertpaulsen
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To: robertpaulsen
Don't forget prostitution. Nevadans should be so proud.

If you are worried about prostitution, let's clean up Washington DC first. I know where there are 535 full-time whores.

18 posted on 09/23/2002 8:38:07 PM PDT by Dakmar
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To: robertpaulsen
Don't forget prostitution. Nevadans should be so proud.

We are, thanks!

19 posted on 09/23/2002 8:45:05 PM PDT by adaven
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To: Dakmar
I know where there are 535 full-time whores.

Since one is no different than the other, the actual count is 536 elected whores not to mention too many appointed and hired.

20 posted on 09/23/2002 9:05:04 PM PDT by lewislynn
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