Advocates of medical marijuana file petition signatures on deadline

Brendan Riley

Tuesday, June 16, 1998 | 6:49 a.m.

CARSON CITY, Nev. - Advocates of a plan to authorize marijuana for medical treatment in Nevada met a Tuesday deadline for securing a spot on the November ballot.

Petitions were handed to clerks in 13 of Nevada's 17 counties, the bare minimum under state law. Ballot status won't be known until the clerks check to see if the petitions have at least 46,764 signatures.

Counties that didn't get the "Nevadans for Medical Rights" petitions included Carson City, Lincoln, Storey and Eureka, the secretary of state's office said.

The proposal would have to win voter approval this November and again in November 2000 before it could take effect.

The big concern for backers of the petition was whether they'd comply with the law that requires the minimum number of petition signers to include 10 percent of the voters in at least 13 counties.

NMR spokesman Dan Hart of Las Vegas said the number of signatures wasn't the problem - but the geographical requirement presented a roadblock.

NMR is part of the same group that launched a successful 1996 medical marijuana petition in California. But a big legal battle developed over distribution through "cannabis clubs."

However, Hart has said the problems in California shouldn't happen here.

"The way this is worded, once it is passed it will be policed appropriately," he added.

And even though Nevada's laws against marijuana are much harsher than California's, Hart predicted the initiative would succeed because the state's voters are "fiercely protective of individual rights."

Under the plan, marijuana could be used by anyone suffering from cancer, glaucoma, AIDS, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, or from severe nausea caused by other "chronic or debilitating medical conditions."

A person who wants to use marijuana would need a go-ahead from a doctor, and any use of the drug by a minor would have to be approved in writing both by a doctor and the minor's parents.

A registry of patients authorized to use marijuana for medical purposes would be available to police if they needed to verify a claim of legal use.

A final section says an insurer wouldn't have to reimburse a health care policyholder for the cost of buying marijuana, and an employer wouldn't have to make accommodations for pot-smoking by sick employees.

Despite the careful wording, the Nevada Medical Association and some law enforcement groups have said they won't back the initiative petition.

The 1,100-member NMA says it doesn't believe there have been enough scientific studies to show marijuana is a valuable tool in helping people with diseases such as cancer.