Check this out! WOW! By Ed Koch Source: Las Vegas Sun The state's largest police organization today endorsed the marijuana initiative. The board of the Nevada Conference of Police and Sheriffs, an umbrella group that has 3,000 members and represents about 65 percent of the state's street patrol officers, voted 9-0 to support the proposed constitutional change that would decriminalize possession of up to three ounces of marijuana. "I was a Metro Police officer for 28 years and I spent a lot of time booking people on marijuana charges that never went to court," said NCOP President Andy Anderson, former president of the Police Protective Association union. "It would take anywhere from a couple of hours for a single arrest to about half my shift if there was a line at the booking window or multiple arrests -- time that could have been better spent on the streets addressing violent crime." Billy Rogers, spokesman for Nevadans for Responsible Law Enforcement, which supports Question 9, said this is the first police group to break ranks and support the initiative. "The perception in Nevada was that all law enforcement agencies would line up against this measure, but this endorsement shows that we did listen to what police wanted when this bill was drafted," Rogers aid. Anderson said safeguards in the bill that include strict penalties for people who smoke marijuana in public, sell pot to minors or drive under the influence and kill people, played a big role in his group endorsing it. "We do not support the smoking of marijuana," Anderson said. "But violent crime is on the rise and terrorism remains a real threat. Our priorities in law enforcement have changed and, with out limited resources, so should our laws." Nevada changed its marijuana laws last year, making it a misdemeanor for possession of less than one ounce instead of a felony. Question 9, which was put on the ballot by the Marijuana Policy Project, would have to pass in November and again in 2004 to become law. Law enforcement agencies and prosecutors have come out against the initiative saying it would create more problems for police officers and prosecutors with the potential for additional crime and driving the influence incidents, as well as encourage use by minors. Metro Police Detective David Kallas, executive director of the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, had just returned from a trip out of town and didn't know about the vote. He said he is against the initiative because it does not address the "larger problem" problem of drug trafficking. "Both personally and professionally, while you've eased the burden of the user, you haven't assisted law enforcement with the overall problem of drug trafficking," he said. "The people who purchase it still have to purchase it somewhere." Source: Las Vegas Sun (NV) Author: Ed Koch Published: August 6, 2002 Copyright: 2002 Las Vegas Sun, Inc. Contact: letters@lasvegassun.com Website: http://www.lasvegassun.com/ Related Articles & Web Sites: NRLE http://www.nrle.org/ Marijuana Policy Project http://www.mpp.org/ Nevada Voters Evenly Split on Pot Issue http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13637.shtml DEA Director Criticizes Marijuana Ballot Measure http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13388.shtml Marijuana Proposal To Be On Ballot http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13351.shtml
Okay all you Nevada folks, if you're 18+ REGISTER TO VOTE! We need your help! Voter Registration Information Who can register to vote? In Nevada, you must be 18 years of age, a US citizen, and a resident of Nevada for 30 days preceding any election. You cannot have been convicted of a felony in any state in the United States or be insane. If you are currently 17 and will be 18 at the time of the election, you are also eligible to register. When can I register to vote? In general you can register to vote at any time with the County Clerk/Registrar of Voters in the county in which you reside. However, if you wish to vote in the Primary Election on September 3, 2002, you must register by August 3, 2002. If you wish to vote in the General Election on November 5, 2002, you must register by October 5, 2002. Where can I register to vote? Residents of Nevada can register to vote at the Department of Motor Vehicles, their County Clerk/Registrar of Voters office, and the Welfare Division. Applications to register to vote should be available at the post office near you, but this is not always so. Can I register to vote on-line? Currently Nevada does not have a statewide voter registration system that would allow on-line voter registration. You will need to contact the County Clerk/Registrar of Voters for the county in which you reside in order to register. I have recently moved do I need to re-register? Yes. If you have moved within the county you are currently registered in, you need to contact your County Clerk/Registrar of Voters and notify them of your change in physical residence. If you have moved to a different county you need to notify both your prior and present County Clerk/Registrar of Voters.
I don't particularly agree with his reasoning ,and I 'do' want to smoke ,possibly in public within reason. When I go to a club or a social gathering ,I want the same freedom and inhibition release that drinkers (which I haven't been for 10 or so years) have. Perhaps more To say you go along with the initiative because you don't have the resources to stop it ,isn't what I would call support. You wouldn't want someone raping your daughter ,unless the only other choice you have is you son being killed instead ? ? I know I'm not getting my point across.......and yes 'support' is always good. But on this one it seems like he's asking for 'more' funding ,rather than having to think up a real solution ,or perhaps admitting the scope/depth of this subculture I am a part of. I'll think on it a bit more.
Posted below is the response I recieved from one of my elected dumbasses..... Thank you for contacting me regarding the legalization of marijuana. I appreciate your thoughts and concerns on this issue. As you may know, a 1997 survey showed 11.1 million users of marijuana, making it the most popular illicit drug. It's effect on the health of its users, although not as destructive as other popular drugs like cocaine or heroin, nevertheless offers cause for concern. Moreover, numerous studies have shown that marijuana often serves as a "gateway" to more dangerous drug use. There is no question that we must do a better job fighting the war on drugs, but to simply legalize an illegal substance will not diminish the negative hold it has on our country. I do not consider marijuana to be harmless to our nation's youth, or even to our nation as a whole, and therefore cannot support any measure which might increase its use. Currently, there is no pending legislation proposing the legalization of marijuana. If such legislation is introduced, however, I will not support it. Again, thank you for contacting me. I value your input and hope you will continue to keep me informed of the issues that are important to you. **Please note the terrible rhetoric he uses in his quoting of "statistical" data, or what he is passing off as such. Although he is elected in this state, I think that his response is evidence of the ruling attitude amoung a number of elected politicians throughout the states. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE... Get out and vote.... Vote for a 3rd party cand., but whatever you do PLEASE VOTE!!!!