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AMERICANS FOR MEDICAL RIGHTS |
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NEWS RELEASE -- June 4, 2001
Legislators Cite Duty to Move Forward as a Sovereign State CARSON CITY, NEVADA, June 4 - Despite federal laws
prohibiting the medical use of marijuana upheld in a May 14th United A preamble added to the bill, AB 453, acknowledges federal opposition to medical marijuana but states that Nevada as "a sovereign state has the duty to carry out the will of the people." AB 453 received Senate approval this weekend and Assembly approval today. It will now go before Governor Kenny Guinn for his signature. Dan Hart of Nevadans for Medical Rights said, "Today the state of Nevada has taken up the charge of voters to move ahead on the issue of medical marijuana regardless of federal policy." He continued, "We've said all along that the Supreme Court's ruling was simply a reiteration of federal law with regards to medical marijuana, and that it did not preclude state governments from setting their own medical marijuana laws. This is a major victory for patients in Nevada and in all states with laws allowing for the medical use of marijuana." If the governor signs the bill as expected, patients in Nevada will be able to grow as many as seven marijuana plants in their homes. The Nevada School of Medicine will be required to "aggressively" seek federal approval of a medical marijuana distribution program in which both usable marijuana and marijuana seeds will be made available to patients. Also, the possession of up to an ounce of marijuana by anyone in the state of Nevada will no longer be a felony. ### FACT SHEET ON NEVADA BILL AB 453 Medical Marijuana Implementation, Research,
Distribution AB 453 ELEMENTS: Strong preamble language: "S [T]he State of Nevada as a sovereign state has the duty to carry out the will of the people of this state and to regulate the health, medical practices and well-being of those people in a manner that respects their personal decisions concerning the relief of suffering through the medical use of marijuana." Patient/caregiver registry system: The state departments of motor vehicles and agriculture will jointly operate a confidential licensing system for medical marijuana-using patients and their caregivers. Patients must have approval from a Nevada physician, and may designate a caregiver. Each would receive credentials from the Department of Motor Vehicles, which could be used to avoid a marijuana arrest. Permits cultivation and possession by patients, caregivers: Licensed patients and caregivers may cultivate up to seven marijuana plants, three flowering at any one time, and may possess up to one ounce of usable marijuana without penalty. State research and distribution programs: The state Department of Agriculture is ordered to "aggressively" and "vigorously pursue" federal approval to establish a distribution program for both usable marijuana and marijuana seeds. The University of Nevada School of Medicine must join the department in seeking approval for general studies of marijuana's medical uses. De-felonization of non-medical marijuana possession: A separate provision reclassifies the possession of marijuana as a misdemeanor for the first three offenses. It also gives judges wider discretion for sentencing on later offenses. A page of information on Nevada bill AB 453 is available
at: General legislative information from Nevada is available
at: Also see: http://www.drugreform.org For more information contact: Americans for Medical Rights |