Pubdate: Sat, 21 Jul 2001
Source: Associated Press (Wire)
Copyright: 2001 Associated Press
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?163 (Question 9 (NV))

NEVADA'S MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROGRAM TO START OCT. 1

Nevada's medical marijuana program will be launched Oct. 1 with or 
without the $30,000 needed to cover first-year costs, a state 
official says.

"We are going to take care of it with existing staff," Agriculture 
Department Director Paul Iverson said Thursday. "It is no different 
than any other unfunded mandate. We encourage donations, but we are 
going to make it work with what we have."

With permission from their doctors, Nevadans who suffer from AIDS, 
cancer, glaucoma and other illnesses can use marijuana for medicinal 
purposes. Some studies have found the drug can alleviate the nausea 
and help increase the appetite of people wasting away from severe 
illnesses.

A new state law that goes into effect in October allows qualified 
patients to grow as many as seven marijuana plants. The law is 
patterned after a program in Oregon.

The law was passed after voters in two consecutive elections approved 
a ballot question to set up the medical marijuana program.

To ensure approval of the law, Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, 
D-Las Vegas, removed provisions that allocated $30,000 to cover 
Department of Agriculture costs for running the program.

Giunchigliani said she hoped Nevadans would donate money to help run 
the medical marijuana program. But so far only $1,300 has been 
donated.

Gov. Kenny Guinn hadn't included money to operate the medical 
marijuana program in his two-year, $3.8 billion state budget.

The governor's failure to provide money prompted former gubernatorial 
candidate Aaron Russo to run a series of ads blasting Guinn and 
urging Nevadans to donate money to the marijuana program.

Iverson's agency will hold public hearings in Reno and Las Vegas in 
September on regulations needed to begin the program. Iverson has 
named staff employee Cecile Crofoot the medical marijuana program 
project manager. She also has other duties with the Department of 
Agriculture.
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