Pubdate: Wed, 03 Oct 2001
Source: Daily Progress, The (VA)
Copyright: 2001 Media General Newspapers
Contact: (434) 978-7252
Website: http://www.dailyprogress.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1545
Note: Note: Letters must mailed to above address or may be faxed - no email 
at this time
Author: Bob Gibson, Daily Progress staff writer
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

ONE-ISSUE CANDIDATE HOLDS RALLY ON MALL

Gary A. Reams is proudly and strictly a single-issue candidate.

"Marijuana prohibition has failed, has done harm and has gone too far," 
Reams said Friday in Charlottesville.

The Libertarian Party nominee for lieutenant governor said he is running 
solely as a way to send a message to politicians about marijuana laws.

His candidacy is what he calls a "Reams Reeferendum."

"A vote for Gary Reams is not a vote for the Libertarian Party or for 
libertarianism or even Gary Reams," the candidate said. "It is a vote for 
the need to reform the marijuana laws."

Reams, 45, is a former chairman of the Libertarian Party of Virginia who 
lives in Fairfax County and works as a director of quality for NEC, an 
international telecommunications supplier.

A veteran of six years in the U.S. Navy as an electronics technician, Reams 
said Virginia wastes a lot of time and money by arresting more than 15,000 
people a year on marijuana charges, the majority for possession of the 
illegal drug.

"It's not just the users who have to pay this cost" for law enforcement, 
court services and jail, he said.

"It diverts law enforcement resources into going after marijuana users 
instead of going after real thugs," Reams said.

Reams said he chose the lieutenant governor's race to send all politicians 
a message about pot because the office "is ceremonial."

He said he would like to see Virginia join other the other states and 
Canada that are endorsing the use of marijuana for medical reasons.

Reams said he is calling his campaign a referendum on pot because voters 
cannot put a marijuana question up for a statewide referendum in Virginia 
and this election allows voters a chance to say prohibition of marijuana 
"has gone too far."

He said medical uses of marijuana should be permitted and Virginians should 
be allowed to grow industrial hemp as they could until the plant was banned 
more than 60 years ago.

"Here you have a plant that you can't get high from," which still is banned 
by the federal government as a valuable cash crop, Reams said.

Reams is one of three candidates on the Nov.6 statewide ballot for 
lieutenant governor. The others are Democrat Timothy M. Kaine, a former 
mayor of Richmond, and Del. Jay K. Katzen, a Fauqier County Republican.

Kaine and Katzen said last month that they oppose legalization of marijuana.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager