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Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013 | 6:05 p.m.
While the state Senate has started debate on medical marijuana, the final briefs have been filed with the Nevada Supreme Court on a decision that the current law is unconstitutional.
The court will decide whether a panel or the full membership will consider the case and when and if oral arguments will be heard.
Clark County District Judge Donald Mosley tossed out criminal charges against two men, calling the current law “mind-boggling.”
A Clark County grand jury indicted Nathan Hamilton and Leonard Schwingdorf who opened a nonprofit co-op called “Sin City” on 8221 W. Charleston Blvd. to provide medical marijuana to patients suffering from such ailments as cancer, HIV and from chronic and acute pain.
It had registered its business with the Secretary of State’s Office.
An undercover Metro Police officer in 2011 purchased pot there on five occasions. The detective produced a registered medical card and was escorted to a room that contained 20-40 large mason jars filled with various types of the drug.
The law says a person is exempt from criminal prosecution if he or she has a valid registration card but is limited to deliver or produce only 1 ounce of marijuana.
Judge Mosley found the law “does not further but rather frustrates the constitutional mandate to reasonably provide a method for lawfully obtaining medical marijuana.”
Voters on two occasions approved the legalization of medical marijuana.
Defense attorneys for the two men argue in their brief to the Supreme Court the law is “unconstitutionally vague because it fails to provide ordinary people sufficient notice regarding the exercise of their constitutional right to access medical marijuana.”
They also said the law authorizes and encourages arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement.
The defense brief also disclosed that it is unclear whether Hamilton, one of the defendants, is “clinically alive after recently suffering severe brain trauma.”
The Clark County District Attorney’s Office argued in its brief the law “provides sufficient notice of what conduct is prohibited and provides adequate guidance to prevent arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement.”
Earlier this month, members of the Senate Judiciary Committee discussed the issue, but no bill has been introduced so far. Sen. Tick Segerblom, D-Las Vegas, wants legislation creating a legal way for medical marijuana card holders to obtain the drug.
Hamilton was charged with seven counts of sale of a controlled substance; one count of possession with intent to sell and one count of maintaining an illegal residence. Schwingdorf was accused of two counts of drug sales and two counts of trafficking in controlled substances.
Legalize it already! It is downright embarrassing that Colorado(!) had done this before we have.
so what was this brain trauma
"While the state Senate has started debate on medical marijuana, the final briefs have been filed with the Nevada Supreme Court on a decision that the current law is unconstitutional."
It's about time. We the people changed the Constitution and legalized marijuana for medical use in 1998!!
"Legalize it already!"
boftx -- actually, it should be decriminalized. Big difference.
"Tobacco, hemp, flax and cotton, are staple commodities." -- from Thomas Jefferson "The Works," vol. 3 (Notes on Virginia I, Correspondence 1780-1782), "A Notice Of The Mines And Other Subterraneous Riches; Its Trees, Plants, Fruits, &C."
The only reason why marijuana is dangerous is because it's still part of the black market. No one dies from consumption. Only deaths that have anything to do with it is from gang relation.
How do our government officials not realize that if they were to legalize it and regulate it like alcohol, and tobacco- which kill hundreds of thousands of americans each year, they will be pulling all the danger away from it by getting it out of the hands of criminal dealings. Remember the prohibition of alcohol, that didn't work either.
Then theres the worry about people driving. Marijuana smokers are safer drivers than drunk drivers! Anyone that has smoked weed can vouch for that. Most dangerous thing I can see someone doing is waiting for a stop sign to turn green and driving slower.. "oooo, so dangerous" - sarcasm
It's mind boggling to me that Las Vegas, NV does not have it legalized by now. A city where gambling is legal, prostitution is happening right underneath everyone noses, but we can't have a plant that harms no one.
Our country has gone through the looking glass from Alice in Wonderland, and needs to wake the hell up.
It is way past time to legalize, regulate, and tax marijuana. With our American healthcare system making medical relief too expensive for many Americans, marijuana will be an alternative. Quit making so many suffer every which way they turn. Whatever happened to compassion in our society?
If we took a trip in history, the FDA was formed to create jobs as "political favors" to pay back those who supported an elected candidate. Over the years, it has evolved into a governmental monstrosity that dictates, and picks winners and losers in commercial industry.
With the internet and literacy, with the guidance of licensed doctors, the public should be able and well equipped to decide what best serves them, so I am for limiting the overreach of the FDA, and believe the FDA should be scaled down or scrapped.
All the political bickering is costing the People, and creating a class of people who cannot afford treatment nor relief. That is shameful in our day and age. On this bill, I support Tick.
"Judge Mosley found the law "does not further but rather frustrates the constitutional mandate to reasonably provide a method for lawfully obtaining medical marijuana."" Let's end the suffering in Nevada!
Blessings and Peace,
Star
Legalize it and prostitution. Those two things end our debt problems. But, be sure to use these new found taxes to help our children first. Use it to support our teachers, not the administration.
And while you're at it, raise taxes on mining.