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Ted S. Warren / AP
Jake Dimmock, co-owner of the Northwest Patient Resource Center medical marijuana dispensary, waters plants Oct. 10, 2012, in Seattle.
By Anjeanette Damon (contact) 
Thursday, March 14, 2013 | 3:03 p.m.
Assemblyman Joe Hogan, D-Las Vegas, said his measure to legalize marijuana possession will be introduced in the Assembly on Friday, making Nevada the sixth state to consider decriminalizing pot.
"We've wasted a tremendous amount of money spoiling teen-agers lives, chasing them around until we can arrest them for something," Hogan said. "And marijuana is not just a harmless plant. The medical benefits are remarkable."
Hogan, a retired naval officer and Department of Defense employee, said he does not smoke pot.
"Maybe 45 years ago someone gifted me a few puffs, but I have not been a user at all," Hogan said.
Rather, he is more concerned with the societal benefits of legalizing marijuana, he said.
Hogan is working with a Las Vegas doctor who has been pushing the issue. Dr. Stephen Frye, who calls himself Dr. Pot, has been pushing marijuana legalization.
Voters in two states, Colorado and Washington, decriminalized marijuana possession in November. Lawmakers in Oregon, Hawaii and New Mexico are considering pot legalization measures.
Nevada already allows for medical marijuana use. But patients who have a medical marijuana card have no legal way to obtain it. Sen. Tick Segerblom, D-Las Vegas, has sponsored legislation to create a dispensary system in Nevada.
Segerblom said Thursday he is not cosponsoring Hogan's measure.
"I'm sticking to medical marijuana," he said.
Hogan said Assemblymen Andrew Martin and Paul Aizley are cosponsoring the measure. He's also hoping for some Republican support.
"I'm really hopeful" it will pass, Hogan said. "It would benefit a lot of people."
Andrew Doughman contributed to this story.
And tax the s**t outta it, marijuana could really help the Las Vegas budget..
Next they will argue that it's ok to drive just being a little "stoned". If you keep your "stoniness" below a certain level then go ahead and get behind the wheel. Have a good time! Unbelievable assanine drug addicts...God help this country!
Prohibition didn't work. Making Marijuana illegal has not, does not and WILL NOT WORK!
What part of that do these big heads don't understand?
Pot is more easily obtained than alcohol. And you have dimwits who accuse people of being "drug addicts" despite the OBVIOUS FACTS?
What world are these blind people living in?
Legalize it, tax it and regulate it! The marijuana drug war has failed miserably.
Driving will intoxicated is illegal now and will be illegal even if marijuana is legalized.
The fact that someone decides to drive intoxicated has little to do with the fact that marijuana is legal or not since it is already illegal to drive while intoxicated!
Reason help these dimwits!
Agree with WBTerry.
Since it's illegal under NV law to drive with even a trace amount of cannabis metabolites in your system, it should also be illegal to drive with a BAC of greater than 0.00. After all, if you've had a drink in the last month, you're drunk, right?
What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
Finally a politician with some common sense.
I applaud this measure. Sadly, democracy has failed the citizenry in Nevada. Medical marijuana patients have been forced into the streets to actively participate in black market, illegal activity. All thanks to our courts and the legislature. We the people voted for medical marijuana not once, but twice. You can see how much these people care for their constituents.
"Nevada already allows for medical marijuana use. But patients who have a medical marijuana card have no legal way to obtain it. Sen. Tick Segerblom, D-Las Vegas, has sponsored legislation to create a dispensary system in Nevada."
Damon -- you should have done your homework. Nevada voters first changed our Constitution for this in 1998. The legislature deserves nothing positive said about this 15 years later.
"Medical marijuana patients have been forced into the streets to actively participate in black market, illegal activity. All thanks to our courts and the legislature. We the people voted for medical marijuana not once, but twice."
EasyAndy -- so glad to see someone else paying attention to this! Ever hear of the LaGuardia Report?
The profound stupidity of anti-marijuana laws is proven by hemp being criminalized with them. Nature's #1 botanical gift to this planet outlawed so government can plunder its people and their property.
"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."
This is good news for Nevada. Hopefully it will go all the way to full legalization. Freedom and Liberty, that's all we can hope for.
This needs to pass! It should have been done years ago. Not only is it the right thing to do, it will be a tremendous boost to our economy.
If we are going to be "sin city" then by all means embrace it and run full speed with it!
Why Marijuana is Legal to Possess, Consume, Grow, and Distribute by all Citizens of the United States:
Cannabis and the psychoactive substance, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are both scientifically proven to have medicinal benefits and have been accepted by many patients in the United States of America for treatments such as; ADD/ADHD, Arthritis, Glaucoma, Pain Relief, Reducing Anxiety, Restoring Appetite, and for some patients has Prevented the Spread of Cancer Cells while Promoting Autophagy. Thus, neither Cannabis nor THC can be arbitrarily classified as a Schedule I Drug (no current accepted medical use in treatment in the United States) by the United States Federal Government under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) of 1970 enacted by the 91st United States Congress as it infringes on the Constitutional Rights of all Citizens of the United States.
All satisfied users of Cannabis and/or THC in the United States have the right to print this document, to alter it, and to keep it for personal protection from Government and State employees attempting to infringe on their Constitutional Rights.
The awareness of this collective knowledge retroactively frees every Citizen of the United States wrongfully convicted of a federal offense solely involving Marijuana and also null and voids any and all Marijuana-related charges against them.
Preamble of the United States Declaration of Independence
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."
Amendment V of the United States Constitution
"No person shall"be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."
Section 1 of Amendment XIV of the United States Constitution
"All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."
Joe,
I believe I have mentioned in the past that I am pragmatic. That includes being a bit of a mercenary. Or is that all just part of being an old-fashioned Classical Liberal? :)
The Swiss Guard that protects the Pope are mercenaries. Are they liberals?
SunJon,
Depending upon what aspect you wish to address, yes. :)
I'm against it in large part that marijuana advocates refuse to attribute any negatives to it's use. And unless you are on chemo treatments or a real medical problem medical marijuana is a farce. They put marijuana on the same plate as aspirin. Which to any sane person is ridiculous. Medical marijuana is a red herring, studies have proven that. It's just an excuse to smoke pot.
The other farce is that kids won't get marijuana if it's legalized. They get pot now, how would legalizing it stop that? At least with booze it's a little harder hiding a 750ml and then there is the suffering that comes afterward.
Personally if you are an adult and you smoke pot at home, I really don't have a problem with it. But if it is legalized, it needs to be restricted to someone's domicile not out in public.
Also it would adversely affect tourism. We would lose convention business. Amsterdam is actually a lovely canal city but that is overridden by pot and prostitution.
What someone needs to do is make an herbal supplement of marijuana- like Echinacea and ginseng. Marijuana 500 mg./ standardized extract containing 2% thc in each capsule. And then put the allegory and incidental claims regarding the benefits of marijuana on the bottle- the FDA will then slap one of those warning labels on the bottle. It will then not be a drug or medication- it will be an herbal supplement. ;)
I don't smoke anything because I believe in protecting my lungs. But marijuana has many medical benefits. My late mother's doctor gave her one of the first prescriptions for marijuana over 20 years ago. She never used it because of the social stigma. Also, she did not smoke. But it would have helped her sickle cell disease greatly for appetite loss,anxiety and pain. She would have enjoyed it on occasion as I do made as a tea with raw honey or in coffee. Lastly, in california you can obtaian a medical marijuana card easily. But once you DO, you CAN NOT purchase a firearm any longer. That's why I won't get a medical marijuana card in California.
We had another "noble experiment" with alcohol prohibition last century and all it did was give rise to organized crime and gangsterism. Any similarity to our experience with marijuana prohibition is more than just coincidental.
Assemblyman Joe Hogan will certainly get my support in the future.
Robert Hess hit the nail on the head in his post.
All these cries about medical marijuana is just an excuse for most people to smoke pot.
If you are legitimately sick, then by all means they should have everything available to them.
I agree, I think if adults want to smoke in the privacy of their own home, then leave them be.
I am worried if it is legalized, you won't be able to walk down the street without smelling it emanating from people smoking in their backyard or on the patio, because there will not be any repercussion. Do you want you kids smelling it from the neighbors??
We shouldn't be throwing people in jail for smoking, but legalizing it and putting it out in the open is not a good idea. You pot-heads advocating for this, just because you like to smoke, are not thinking this all the way through.
This is an important step in doing the right thing.
Of course, when is the right thing ever done anymore?
No one is forced to use marijuana. Those opposed are voting to restrict the access of others. The prospect of taxing sales to adults is not insignificant, whereas money lost pursuing adult recreational users is a waste to taxpayers. It is time to reassess policy.
airweare, nobody said pot is not real, and nobody said it was not effective. Yes, try and talk about how things are and not how you think they are.
Making it legal opens the door to a whole host of problems. Driving while high, driving with marijuana in the car, driving while another in the car is smoking. Smoking out in the open in backyards, and patios. If you don't think these are real issues, and real problems, then you are kidding yourself.
I agree, adults should not be arrested for smoking in the privacy of their own home. But putting it out in the open will have consequences...and as usual, people just do not think that far ahead.
About time. Hopefully the sensible people of Nevada will do right and vote to decriminalize this harmless plant (plant, not a "drug"). Think of the added benefits. Weed tourism would skyrocket, especially in this town.
About time. There is probably more grass consumed in Vegas than any city in the world of comparable size. I was a narcotics investigator for years and know what I am talking about.
Prostitution should be next. It's a party town. We shouldn't pretend otherwise.
Mr. Hess is correct. It is wrong to compare cannabis to aspirin or alcohol. Aspirin kills 52 people per year. Alcohol kills 24,518 per year. Cannabis kills 0 per year. Who is beliving the hype. http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/02/b....
http://www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/Causes_o...
Mr. Hess....the bulk of tourists come from California. Californians consume grass by the ton. We would lose convention business??? The party atmosphere is why we have convention business to begin with. Why do you think they come here? Intellectual stimulation. The conventions are why we have thousands of hookers. Whores and grass go together like soup and sandwich.
All part of a well balanced convention.
My husband and I live where growing marijuana is legal, and we grow our own at home. I would not recommend this in a state/country where it is illegal. HomeGro sells this SixShooter LED growing system that uses the same technology NASA uses to grow food for their astronauts in space. It was worth a try since they offered us a 30-day money back guarantee. We decided to invest, and it has been well worth every dime. http://www.home-gro.com
Liz... In the interest of full disclosure are you one of the employee owners of Home-Gro?
I want the state to see some tax revenue. Growing at home takes away from that.
Wow, I might be able to get off my prescribed Hydrocodone pain pills...great! I don't take them as often as I should and just deal with the pain because I don't want to get addicted to them.Now if this becomes legal I won't have to put off medication.
Looks like 99.99% are in favor of this! This guy seems to be confused!
" They put marijuana on the same plate as aspirin."
Actually aspirin is more dangerous!
"It's just an excuse to smoke pot."
None should be needed, it's a "pursuit of happiness" and protected by our Constitution!
"The other farce is that kids won't get marijuana if it's legalized. They get pot now, how would legalizing it stop that?"
Kids get is so easily because they get it from the black market you idiot! If it's legal, regulated and taxed the black market will disappear (unless they get greedy and over tax it) it will be just as hard for kids as booze is now, not perfect, but about a 100 times harder to get then pot is now!
"Personally if you are an adult and you smoke pot at home, I really don't have a problem with it. But if it is legalized, it needs to be restricted to someone's domicile not out in public."
So you are for it! You just like those that enjoy it to be criminals and have to buy it from the black market that's supported by the Mexican drug gangs. The strip is about the only place in the USA where you can walk down the street with a beer if you are of age, I think adults walking down the strip with a joint would be way less dangerous, no bottle to throw and it tends to calm people as opposed to the effects of liquor.
The biggest obstacle will be the multibillion dollar para-military/police prohibition enforcement industry that has been built around this prohibition, half of these forces will no longer be needed but they will fight back hard to keep the statuesque and billions of dollars that feed this industry.
"Also it would adversely affect tourism. We would lose convention business."
Are you totally disconnected and UN-informed? It would quickly double our tourism! Who do you think is buying the billions upon billions of dollars in pot that is now produced in every neighborhood across the country and the semi-truck loads that come into country every day from Mexico? It's the vast majority of Americans, that who! They will flock to Las Vegas by the millions!
Only medical drug use, no more green zombie-threats.
Legal medical marijuana use would be a medical necessity and should have a tax abatement. All other use should be taxed.
Prohibition did NOT work. Just decriminalize, legalize, regulate, and TAX marijuana.
Seems like now is the time, especially with an aging society in need of alternatives for pain relief, and, as other Commenters have well explained, the use of it is so wide spread, it might as well be legalized. While we're at it, get those gridlocked politicians in Washington, D.C. to decriminalize it as well.
Green Blessings and Peace,
Star
I think it's a good idea. Maybe if everyone could get high legally, everyone will be more relaxed, have a good laugh, and subdue the gigantic Las Vegas rat race!
It's almost 4:20 so see ya later.
"Maybe 45 years ago someone gifted me a few puffs, but I have not been a user at all," Hogan said."
Ya Right,
Now we know who Bill Clinton was getting high with at Oxford!
I must be getting old, had to Google the 4:20