Marijuana petition gathers necessary signatures for ballot

Tuesday, June 25, 2002 | 8:50 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- A proposed constitutional amendment to allow adults to have a small amount of marijuana without being charged with a crime has cleared its first hurdle, the secretary of state's office said Monday.

Kristi Geiser, campaign finance officer for the office, said the initiative petitions contain 109,048 signatures, far more than the 61,336 needed to qualify for the November ballot.

Verification of the signatures now starts and must be finished by July 8, Geiser said. In counties where there are fewer than 500 signatures on the petition, every one must be examined to determine if the person who signed is a registered voter.

In the other counties the clerks or registrar of voters must sample 5 percent or 500 signatures, whichever is more.

The signatures must represent 10 percent of registered voters in 13 of the 17 counties. The raw count shows the petition had the necessary signatures in all counties except Elko and Douglas.

Billy Rogers, a spokesman for the group circulating the petition, said he is confident there are enough valid signatures to be eligible for the ballot.

The drive is being sponsored by the nonprofit Medical Marijuana Project, based in Washington, D.C. Rogers said the petition-gathering process in Nevada cost $300,000.

"We got 109,000 signatures in 40 days," he said. "That's impressive."

He said he wanted to wait until the verification process is completed before any plans are revealed on the campaign for ballot approval. It must be approved this November and then in 2004 before it becomes part of the state Constitution.

The petition would permit 21-year-old and older Nevadans to possess up to three ounces of marijuana. It also authorizes the Legislature to establish a distribution system.

Nevadans at the last election gave final approval to a constitutional amendment to allow Nevadans to possess marijuana for medical purposes, once they get a statement from a doctor.

"Under the current law, seriously ill cancer patients are forced to grow their own marijuana or to purchase it from the criminal market," Rogers said. "This initiative will allow seriously ill patients to purchase medical marijuana through a regulated market."

A tax would be levied similar to the one on tobacco products, which are now taxed at 30 percent of wholesale value. That produces more than $7 million in revenue.

Advertising of marijuana would be prohibited, as would shipping it into or out of the state.

The petition says the Legislature shall provide for penalties for driving dangerously or operating heavy machinery while under the influence of marijuana. Those under 21 year old would not be allowed to possess or use the drug.