Letter: Question 7 would regulate marijuana use

Monday, Oct. 23, 2006 | 7:36 a.m.

I'm writing to respond to an Oct. 21 letter from Lee Gliddon, who opposes Question 7, the initiative to tax and regulate marijuana in Nevada.

Mr. Gliddon is apparently not familiar with the specifics of Question 7. Public consumption of marijuana is explicitly prohibited under the initiative, therefore the scenario he paints of unsuspecting passers-by getting a "contact high" from public marijuana use would be illegal if Question 7 passes.

Citizens who support regulating marijuana are not focused on "getting high no matter what the effects may be on others." Last year Nevada spent $42 million arresting nearly 5,000 people for marijuana possession, while nearly 10,000 violent crimes went unsolved in 2005.

Our state is wasting precious resources, and our marijuana laws create a criminal market that finances the activities of violent gangs and drug dealers. Our marijuana laws are a complete failure, so we're proposing the replacement of this failed policy with one that might actually work - and be far less harmful to our society. By regulating marijuana, we can create a sensible marijuana policy for Nevada.

Neal Levine, Las Vegas