Two marijuana proposals joined

Thursday, Feb. 15, 2001 | 11:48 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, says she's going to combine her bill to reduce the penalty on possession of marijuana with the initiative petition to allow distribution of marijuana for medical purposes.

Nevada voters approved a constitutional amendment allowing marijuana to be used for medical purposes to either help cure ailments or relieve pain. But the Legislature must enact a law detailing how the program will be carried out.

About seven months ago Giunchigliani requested a bill to lower the felony penalty for possession of marijuana to a misdemeanor, for which a person would receive a citation. She said her bill will increase the penalty to a gross misdemeanor if the individual is caught three times with the drug.

Giunchigliani said nobody so far has requested a bill to put the medical marijuana constitutional amendment into effect. So she is combining the two issues into a single bill that will be introduced later.

On the medical marijuana issue, she said she intends to set up a state registry. A person who is issued a prescription for marijuana by a doctor would get a state card to qualify to purchase the drug. She said she is still working on details for distribution of the drug.

A group of doctors, pharmacists and other health professionals have recommended that the drug be distributed only for test purposes initially in order to see if it is really beneficial. But backers of the medical marijuana proposal say that suggestion is too restricted. They say Nevadans should be able to buy the drug if it is prescribed by a doctor.

There is no estimate when Giunchigliani's bill will be introduced. She said it would be up to the Assembly Judiciary Committee if they wanted to split the two issues.