Nevada is now the sixth state in recent months to consider either legalizing or decriminalizing marijuana possession, courtesy of a bill proposed by Democrat Las Vegas Assemblyman Joe Hogan on Friday.
“We’ve wasted a tremendous amount of money spoiling teenagers’ lives, chasing them around until we can arrest them for something,” Hogan told the Las Vegas Sun. “And marijuana is not just a harmless plant. The medical benefits are remarkable.”
The state of Nevada already permits the drug to be used for medical purposes.
A retired naval officer and former Department of Defense employee, Hogan said he is not a marijuana user, except for “maybe 45 years ago [when] someone gifted me a few puffs, but I have not been a user at all.”
Hogan is reportedly working with Dr. Stephen Frye, a Las Vegas physician who calls himself “Dr. Pot,” in promoting marijuana legalization, according to the Sun.
“I’m really hopeful” it will pass, Hogan said. “It would benefit a lot of people.”
In November, Colorado and Washington became the first states to decriminalize marijuana possession, allowing for recreational use of the drug, which is still deemed a controlled substance under federal law.
According to Whitehouse.gov, the federal government continues to oppose the substance because it “has a high potential for abuse, has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, [and] there is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug under medical supervision.”
A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Colorado said federal law was not affected by the vote.
“The Department of Justice’s enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act remains unchanged,” Jeff Dorschner said in a statement. “We are reviewing the ballot initiative and have no additional comment at this time.”
Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States, according to the government’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
In 2011, 18.1 million people illegally used the drug in the U.S. In comparison, that same year 8 million people ages 12 or older used illicit drugs other than marijuana.
http://www.newsmax.com/TheWire/nevada-marijuana-bill-pot/2013/03/15/id/494910
Yea and them f`ers say that herb has no accepted medical uses and has a high potential for abuse. I would like to know just what the medical uses there is for alcohol and cigarets, and talk about a high potential for abuse, I think that alcohol and cig.s have alot higher level for abuse and is far more deadlier than herb ever had.
They’ll say anything, Digger. Except of course, for the truth.
Yep Jolly Roger, it is like that on I posted on the 15th called ” The U.N.`s hypocritical war on pot ” when they were all drinkin` o much and to get off the booze. It is not like I don`t drink once in a while or any thing but these law makers are a bunch of f`n boozers making up laws. I would love to see them law making boozers get cut off of their booze, wouldn`t it be great to see Jolly Roger 🙂