Police, Federal Agents Disrupt Pot Education Convention Las Vegas police and federal agents arrested 10 people and seized drugs over the weekend at Hempcon, a marijuana education convention at the Cashman Center. People who were there described seeing police dogs around the event, as well as officers on the roof of the building, apparently looking for people smoking marijuana. The arrests outraged event organizers, and some attendees said they left medical marijuana patients frightened as Nevada's first legal dispensaries prepare to open. [continues 766 words]
Investors See Opportunity in Decriminalization, Treatment Richard Branson has brought his war on the war on drugs to Las Vegas. Branson, the charismatic founder of the Virgin Group, was a panelist at a session debating U.S. drug policy at the Starbridge Capital Alternatives Conference, a high-level investment event that brings in top names in business, government and politics to discuss issues leading to wise investment decisions. Among the big names at the four-day conference at Bellagio that ends today were former Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke; energy entrepreneur T. Boone Pickens; retired CIA Director Gen. David Petraeus; political operatives James Carville and Karl Rove; actor Michael J. Fox; retired tennis professional Andre Agassi; and billionaire entrepreneuradventurer Branson, who produced a documentary "Breaking the Taboo" on drug addiction. [continues 435 words]
I am astonished at the uncompromising ignorance some people exhibit while speaking (or writing) on a topic they know absolutely nothing about. The subject matter of concern to me here is marijuana, and more specifically, the plant itself. The hemp plant has been around for millennia, and has provided humans with benefits still being discovered to this very day. The discovery of the New World was powered by hemp sails and rigging. With modern technology, we are learning we can use the hemp plant in many ways to take advantage of this natural gift of the earth. Hemp seed, as an example, is nature's perfect food product, containing proteins and essential fatty acids. Only recently have we talked about the medicinal benefits contained in marijuana. Some state legislators have passed laws legalizing medical marijuana, including our very own state of Nevada. Others have begun the process of legalizing the plant for recreational use. [continues 215 words]
Labs, Dispensaries Have Been in Limbo for Months Awaiting Policy After spending months in limbo, waiting for the state to hash out rules for testing medical marijuana, laboratories might be able to get to work soon. That moves patients one step closer to the first legal sales in dispensaries. A state health official said Tuesday that all the rules are in place for labs to start testing marijuana. But in a sign of how confusing the process has been, that news came as a surprise to a dispensary owner and a lab scientist, who both expected a longer wait for the state to finalize some rules. [continues 580 words]
Nevada Lawmakers Get Up-Close View of Colorado's Pot Business With medical marijuana already here and full legalization on the ballot in 2016, a group of Nevada legislators took a trip to Denver last weekend to get an up close look at how the state is handling its booming cannabis market. What they saw was impressive, according to Sen. Patricia Farley, R-Las Vegas, who said Nevada would do well by mirroring the laws and regulations Colorado has put into place. [continues 894 words]
Re "Borders on slander" (Letters to the Editor, April 2): It may seem odd to some individuals that I am hardly a "member of the elite liberal progressive class," as, apparently, some folks on the right (and please forgive me for using labels here, but I do so merely to make a point) have labeled me. Evidently, I have given this impression because I questioned the role of Congress. Seriously, I believed they represented the people. The former and current Congress may not be the worst in our history, but it's darned close. The manner in which some members of Congress conduct themselves is beyond shameful. Spending so much energy on vilifying the sitting president is schoolyard bullshit. You may get standing ovations and cheers from the part of your constituency that really hates the president, but you're not getting anything done. And that is why sitting members of Congress should be working to get things done! It is called compromise, folks. It's finding some common ground somewhere and working on it. Perhaps some of Sen. Dean Heller's fellow senators can take a cue from our GOP senator from Nevada. He's far from perfect, but at least he tries to get things done for his home state and for his country. We "liberals" can applaud him for that. [continues 292 words]
The seeds of a health care revolution in drug and alcohol treatment are just starting to germinate. The outcome is far from certain, but, with billions on the table, an epic battle is percolating. Let's start with the convoluted back story. A hundred-plus years ago, drug and alcohol problems were generally viewed as moral weakness and/or personality defect confined to working class Caucasians or ethnic minorities. Alcohol and drug use was legal in America. Then, the temperance movement produced alcohol Prohibition in 1920. [continues 694 words]
Can Nevada's Newest Crop Weather a Record Drought? In late March, Sierra Wellness Connection became Nevada's first commercial medical-marijuana business to get state approval. Less than a week later, the fledgling company led by former University of Nevada, Reno president Joe Crowley also got the City Council's unanimous nod to sell the medicine. As of press time, Sierra Wellness and Certified Ag Lab of Sparks were the only two such establishments to clear the final state hurdle, said Pam Graber with the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health. More are coming, of course, as hundreds of companies received provisional certifications last year. [continues 473 words]
Las Vegas Review-Journal With February's Nevada caucuses fast approaching, the Review-Journal is publishing a 10-editorial series on policies and government reforms all candidates should be able to get behind. The fifth policy goal we'd like all presidential candidates to champion: removing marijuana from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. Marijuana laws are among the most perplexing laws in the nation. While federal law bans any and all uses of the drug, many states allow the possession, production and use of marijuana for medical purposes. Meanwhile, since the federal government argues that federal law trumps state law, the federal government can, in theory, prohibit the use of marijuana anywhere it wants to, and the states can't do anything about it. [continues 364 words]
Civil Forfeiture Puts Burden of Proof on Suspects, Not State In January, the U.S. Justice Department curtailed the ability of state and local law enforcement agencies to piggyback on federal law as cover for seizing billions in cash and property from people who are never formally charged with wrongdoing. Nevada lawmakers now have an opportunity to build upon that federal reform. Legislation introduced in Carson City would protect Nevadans from the danger of subjugating the presumption of innocence to policies that let state and local police agencies seize and keep money, cars, homes or other property without a warrant or criminal charge. [continues 784 words]
Forum Addresses Resource-Heavy Indoor Cultivation Early last year, the broker for a 100,000-square-foot warehouse near Las Vegas called the power company to find out how much juice the building would need. Longtime NV Energy executive Arnold Lopez went out to meet a group on the site and asked what kind of business they planned. After some hesitation, they told him: medical marijuana cultivation. Lopez asked questions and started doing some quick math. And, as State law prohibits outdoor cultivation he recalled, "All of a sudden I came up with numbers I'd never seen before." [continues 566 words]
Businesses Waiting for State Committee to Develop Rules for Pesticides Nevada's first legal marijuana dispensaries can't open yet because a state advisory committee hasn't figured out what pesticides growers will be allowed to use on plants. That leaves it uncertain when the first of 8,575 cardholders - close to 6,200 of them in Clark County - will be able to buy medical pot in a shop. "All I know is I'm done. I'm ready. I can move quickly," said Joe Lamarca, co-owner of Euphoria Wellness, a dispensary southwest of McCarran International Airport. "I just need to get others on the same page." [continues 700 words]
From the news coming out of Washoe County, you'd almost think there's a glaucoma epidemic erupting at Lake Tahoe's Incline Village. Not one, but three licenses for medical marijuana dispensaries have been issued to companies with plans to open pot shops at Incline and nearby Crystal Bay. Incline Village has just 8,000 permanent residents, but of course this isn't really about them. The area bustles with visitors during ski season and vacationers seeking to beat the heat in summer. Lake Tahoe's South Shore casinos are just a few miles away. The region draws more than 4 million visitors a year. [continues 532 words]
Dispensaries Number 10 Instead of 18 Allowed Clark County commissioners on Monday rejected dozens of applicants for medical marijuana dispensaries, including eight who already won approval from the state. The 5-1 action, with Commissioner Tom Collins opposed, sets the county up to have 10 dispensaries in unincorporated areas instead of the 18 allowed under state law. County officials said they are hopeful the state will grant provisional certificates to applicants who already have county permits but currently lack state approval. [continues 1053 words]
Applicants Eager to Find Spots in State's Gold Rush The first medical marijuana dispensary in Nevada is yet to open, but the lawsuits are already flying as applicants jockey for a starting position in the state's green gold rush. GB Sciences Nevada LLC, a company that won city approval for a Las Vegas dispensary but missed the cut on state licensing, has filed a lawsuit challenging the state's rankings. The state also faces a lawsuit from seven dispensary applicants hoping to open in unincorporated Clark County who gained county approval but not state approval. [continues 1244 words]
Re "Legalize marijuana for recreational use" (Let Freedom Ring, Nov. 27): In Colorado, sales of retail marijuana have reaped about $18.9 million in state taxes from January through June. Crime is down. Housing prices up. Unemployment down. Sales tax revenue up. And we're spending less time on incarcerating fellow Americans for pot in their pockets and more time creating jobs. Start smart: join us at the Marijuana Business Academy. If you dare. Let's be very clear: MJ is "legal" in Florida already and has been for 23 years. Don't believe the hype. Read. Learn. Know. Don't fall for the lobbyist trap. Take your American liberties or they will never be yours to hold. KC Stark Colorado Springs [end]
LAS VEGAS - After decades helping lead the fight against the national war on drugs, Ethan Nadelmann recently joined thousands of marijuana entrepreneurs here celebrating legalization - and found the scene kind of irritating. The rapidly expanding legal pot industry has started to make some people rich, but the new pot capitalists are stingy about keeping the momentum for legalization building, Nadelmann said. The wealthy donors who have long bankrolled groups like Nadelmann's Drug Policy Alliance, anchored by billionaire George Soros, have taken notice. They got involved because of concerns over racial justice and civil liberties. If those issues are going to be overshadowed by the opportunity to sell cannabis candy bars to college kids, they're starting to say, then maybe the people making the money should bear the cost. [continues 859 words]
Time did not heal all of the wounds inflicted on Lance Cpl. David Counts during the Korean War. "I shouldn't be here, but I did make it back," said the former Marine Corps truck driver. "The things I've seen in my life, it's not been good," said Counts, who copes with post-traumatic stress disorder by smoking medical marijuana. "It stays with me every day." Veterans Affairs physicians prescribed 10 drugs, including those for anxiety and depression, for Counts. He recently started using medical marijuana after a VA nurse recommended it to him, even thought it's an illegal drug under federal law, he said. [continues 1206 words]
Patients Must Be Patient a Little Longer Medical dispensaries for marijuana will soon appear in Nevada, but they are not likely to be accompanied by the free-swinging procedures that once characterized the California industry. "It's marijuana," said Clark County Sen. Richard "Tick" Segerblom. "From my perspective, whatever you do, no one should be going to jail for marijuana. It's just marijuana." Segerblom is one of a number of advocates of medical use of marijuana who have worked for years to move the state to a different stance on the medicine. In 2000, voters approved the use of medicinal marijuana. However, Nevada cardholders were required to grow their medicine on their own. Now, 14 years later, the push for dispensaries in Nevada has been successful. Up to 55 dispensaries will be opening across the state. With the exception of some of the smaller counties, all the major cities and counties have approved dispensaries in their area. [continues 1120 words]
Several Applications Approved Locally Rejected by Agency Nearly half of the 18 medical marijuana dispensary applications that Clark County commissioners approved have an uncertain fate, as they failed to win state support. The development has brought about frustration and unanswered questions among county officials and applicants who are now in limbo. The county and the state face a quandary as Nevada prepares to welcome the new industry: The state has approved only 10 of the county's 18 selected dispensaries. The final result could be that the county ends up with only 10 dispensaries instead of its 18 in early 2015. But that isn't a foregone conclusion - or a desire of county commissioners. County officials are still researching the issue and said Tuesday they plan to revisit the issue at a Dec. 3 meeting. [continues 817 words]
Legalization Opens Paths for Investors HENDERSON, Nev. - The frenzy in the cavernous Green Valley Resort ballroom might have passed for any conference of entrepreneurs pitching their business plans to poker-faced angel investors - until an organizer took the podium for a public service announcement. Please stop smoking weed out by the parking lot, he implored. Hotel security did not approve. The gathering this month of several hundred Wall Street types, tech industry disrupters, agricultural enthusiasts and assorted others shrugged and went back to the business at hand: leveraging the legalization of marijuana into a windfall. [continues 950 words]
Pot Hedge Funds and Others Join the Frenzy to Turn Legalization into Financial Windfall. HENDERSON, Nev. - The frenzy in the cavernous Green Valley Ranch Resort ballroom might have passed for any confab of entrepreneurs pitching their business plans to pokerfaced angel investors - until an organizer took the podium for a public service announcement. Please stop smoking weed out by the parking lot, he implored. Hotel security did not approve. The gathering last week of several hundred Wall Street types, tech industry disrupters, agricultural enthusiasts and assorted others shrugged and went back to the business at hand: leveraging the legalization of marijuana into a windfall. [continues 1055 words]
CARSON CITY - Backers of an initiative petition to legalize the recreational use of marijuana in Nevada said Friday they have collected far more than the required number of signatures to bring the measure to the ballot in 2016. Joe Brezny with the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol said the group plans to turn in about 170,000 signatures to county clerks Wednesday. The group needs 101,667 signatures from registered Nevada voters to qualify the measure. Brezny said he expects to have nearly two times the number of signatures needed in each of the state's four congressional districts. [continues 126 words]
Recreational Marijuana Coming to Nevada Republicans weren't the only ones living the high life on Election Day. Proponents of legalized, recreational marijuana also were big winners, with decriminalization measures passing in Oregon, Alaska and Washington, D.C. Nevada could be the next state to join them. Oregon's ballot measure passed Tuesday night with 54 percent of the vote, creating the country's third legal market for recreational marijuana (Colorado and Washington state voters passed similar measures in 2012). Oregon residents 21 and older can now possess and grow marijuana. Hours later, Alaska became the fourth state, with 52 percent of voters approving a measure to tax and regulate the production, sale and use of marijuana, making its use legal for people 21 and older. Florida voters narrowly rejected recreational marijuana despite providing majority support - that state's measure required 60 percent of the vote to pass but received 58 percent. [continues 407 words]
Lawmakers Face Variety of Upcoming Issues About Medicinal Use CARSON CITY - Medical marijuana dispensaries are on the verge of becoming a reality in Nevada but that doesn't mean the smoke has cleared on a number of pressing issues related to the medicinal use of the drug. From concerns about what some argue is Nevada's indefensible standard for driving under the influence of marijuana to whether college students should be able to use medicinal marijuana on campus, a whole array of issues will likely come forward for debate in the 2015 session of the Nevada Legislature. [continues 701 words]
Not everybody has been happy with Nevada's medical marijuana process, but that doesn't mean it's broken. That's according to investment banker Leslie Bocskor, a founding chairman of the Nevada Cannabis Industry Association and adviser to five Southern Nevada medical pot permit hopefuls. Bocskor has provided seed funding and permitting guidance to a dozen pot entrepreneurs looking to navigate land use and business licensing in Nevada and two other states. He said the Silver State's two-pronged approach to pot permitting has acquitted itself nicely, especially when stacked up against oft-criticized systems in Colorado and California. [continues 282 words]
Re "Return of the Messenger" (Feature story, Oct. 2): After reading your article on Gary Webb, I was saddened to see his cause of death once again listed as suicide. Really? this man uncovers a drug-running scandal that winds up implicating two former presidents and our intelligence-gathering apparatus and then takes his life by shooting himself twice with a .38 revolver? Again, really? The Mockingbird machinery is obviously still in place and well oiled. I'm sure you're aware the first shot exited through his lower left jaw. Please show on a diagram an angle how this is possible without it being a ridiculously counter intuitive way to hold a weapon. To the other readers out there, stand in front of a mirror pretending to hold a revolver and try to find a believable way to to make that first shot. It doesn't work. What more can be said, other than "the mighty Wurlitzer plays on." Robert Franklin Sun Valley [end]
For perhaps the first time since Nevada finally got serious about implementing its medical marijuana laws, a state regulation makes sense. The state's Division of Public and Behavioral Health announced it would not invoke its discretionary authority to limit the amount of marijuana grown in Nevada to between 650,000 and 1 million square feet. That's the right call: The entrepreneurs who set up marijuana growing and dispensing businesses should be the ones making the decisions about how much they need, based on their best estimate of what the market demands. Sellers note that some products - such as lotions infused with marijuana - require more of the drug to manufacture. [continues 559 words]
UNLV's most impactful recruit this year might be nowhere near the basketball court. Nevada's state and federal lawmakers have been working to bring medical marijuana researcher Dr. Sue Sisley to the university to conduct a pilot study on the safety and efficacy of marijuana on veterans with chronic and treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder. While the study would be financially supported by sponsors and not receive any federal money, it has received all the federal approvals, said Sisley, who has been working on securing the study since 2011. She is hoping the university will provide the research space. [continues 1258 words]
To the editor: Now that marijuana is becoming more accepted in our society, people are fearful that we will have lots of motorists driving around on our streets impaired. Here's a news flash: We already have drunken drivers, people texting and playing games with their cellphones, people trying to eat a three-course meal while steering their vehicle and a host of other distractions once we get on the road. Let's face it, the streets are a jungle and it is survival of the fittest. People smoking pot and driving is just one more spoke in the wheel, no more or no less dangerous than any of the other factors. Tim Hicks NORTH LAS VEGAS [end]
Nevada Regulation Allows Limits on Cultivation of Marijuana The cost of medical marijuana might already be headed upward in Nevada, and the dispensaries and grow houses haven't even opened yet. The situation has drawn concerns from not only the entrepreneurs who hope to make lots of money from such operations but also from local governments that have approved applicants hoping to break into the fledgling industry. At the heart of the matter is a state regulation that allows, but doesn't require, the state Division of Public and Behavioral Health to limit the cultivation of medical marijuana in Nevada. The state estimates Nevada needs about 650,000 to 1 million square feet of medical marijuana cultivation space to support the needs of Nevada residents and out-of-state visitors with medical marijuana cards. [continues 1149 words]
Wolfson Argues Current Law Is Too Vague to Determine Driver Impairment Determining whether a motorist is under the influence of marijuana is much more difficult than determining whether a motorist is under the influence of alcohol. Nevada's DUI marijuana laws need to be changed to reflect the impairment of the driver, not just a standard blood level, according to Clark County's top prosecutor, some lawmakers and pot advocates. In Nevada, if there is enough THC - marijuana's active ingredient - in the blood system despite passing a field sobriety test, the driver is "per se" guilty of DUI of a controlled substance; per se meaning the driver is guilty without consideration of extraneous factors. [continues 1067 words]
To the editor: Regarding medical marijuana, Rep. Dina Titus stated she supported an amendment to a bill stipulating that financial institutions would not be penalized for working with the medical marijuana industry ("Titus: U.S. law will keep banks out of the medical pot industry," Aug. 28 Review-Journal). The amendment was also supported by Reps. Joe Heck and Steve Horsford. Rep. Mark Amodei voted against it. All four Nevada representatives voted for another amendment that denied funds for the Justice Department to prosecute doctors and others who abide by state laws. [continues 219 words]
The state's public college system continues to ban pot out of fear of losing federal funding even as Nevada is moving toward opening its first medical marijuana dispensaries early next year. The Board of Regents on Thursday gave initial approval to an amendment to include medical marijuana to the long-standing policy banning controlled substances on all campuses and system facilities. The policy update includes possession, use, cultivation, manufacturing and delivery. Marijuana remains an illegal controlled substance under federal law, and university system officials are concerned that allowing any marijuana use would jeopardize nearly $500 million in annual federal funding, including the nearly $370 million in student financial aid. [continues 583 words]
My neighbor and friend Andy Whyman wrote a guest column in the Aug. 15 Sierra Sun and Aug. 24 Bonanza stating his case for legalizing pot. Hopefully after he reads this we will still be friends. But Andy is just plain wrong on this issue and here is why. His opening paragraph states that "the criminalization of marijuana is a war on citizens, particularly citizens of color." So by that reasoning we should legalize killing in the inner city neighborhoods for the same reason. Or maybe make mass murder legal because it is a war on white people. [continues 741 words]
No Neon, No Problem, Says City in Announcing Waivers If you want to set up a business on Las Vegas Boulevard between Washington and Sahara avenues, one thing's for certain: You will need a neon sign. Unless you're in the medical marijuana industry. Though the city's Scenic Byway Plan requires all establishments in that part of the boulevard to have signs with 75 percent neon to preserve the road's storied history as a glowing desert landmark, the city of Las Vegas is making an exception for owners of the medical marijuana dispensaries rapidly spreading across the Las Vegas Valley. [continues 638 words]
The federal illegality of pot hangs "like a cloud" over banks wanting to be involved in the medical marijuana industry, Rep. Dina Titus told an industry advocacy group Wednesday. "Bankers are not allowed to do business with what is considered an illegitimate activity," said the Nevada Democrat. "Dealing with marijuana is still illegal under federal law, so banks are hesitant to get into that business as much as they would like to." However, the best way to provide legitimacy to the new industry is to provide access to the federally regulated banks, she said. [continues 528 words]
It's not surprising that both the Florida Sheriff's Association and the Florida Medical Association oppose legalizing medicinal marijuana. Expanding public access to legal marijuana is bad for business. Locking people up for minor drug offenses and maintaining a monopoly on the bountiful pain-relief industry are two aspects of the status quo that law enforcement and physician groups have an interest in maintaining. Sure, they dress up their concerns in different terms. But I don't buy it. "The dangers of marijuana have been well-documented in recent years with increased crime and traffic accidents in states that have passed legislation legalizing marijuana," the Florida Sheriff's Association announced. "For example, of the 20 states with the highest driver acknowledgement of drugged driving, 15 were states that have passed legislation legalizing marijuana." [continues 567 words]
Now that the Carson City Board of Supervisors has approved two "medical marijuana" pot shops for our town, Sheriff Ken Furlong and his officers should prepare themselves to deal with the dangerous side effects of marijuana, including the possibility of hash oil explosions in residential areas. I learned about hash oil explosions during a recent family visit to Seattle, where "recreational" marijuana is legal. In fact, I saw four pot shops sporting green crosses - presumably to advertise pot's alleged medicinal properties - in the 10-mile stretch of highway between Snohomish and Woodinville in the Seattle suburbs. [continues 532 words]
With so much of Washington preoccupied with increasing federal power at the expense of our rights - think IRS, NSA, DEA, and on and on - it's cause for celebration when someone suggests decreasing government power to protect our rights. Now comes Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who seeks to end the racket known as asset forfeiture. The federal government and state and local authorities use asset forfeiture laws to seize the property of criminal suspects. Although the people who have their assets seized are presumed innocent until proved guilty, their property does not enjoy due process protections. If police and prosecutors merely suspect that your assets were obtained or used in the commission of a crime, they can take the property from you. And to get your property back, whether it's cash, a car, a cellphone or a house, defendants have the burden of proving the property was obtained and used lawfully. [continues 279 words]
Re "Lost Dowd in high weeds" (Notes from the Neon Babylon, July 10): Great column regarding marijuana edibles. Just as most people have to suffer the seriously unpleasant effects of alcohol poisoning before they truly understand how to use that well known drug, so do people need to learn how to dose themselves on edibles. As one who suffered an MJ overdose more than 40 years ago, I have been absolutely gun shy around pot munchies. One of the best things that should come out of legalization is an understanding of dosage, regulated content and potency of edibles. I can't wait. I would love to be able to eat just enough to relax me to sleep. Roll on, reefer sanity! Paul Blakey via email [end]
Re "Lost Dowd in high weeds" (Notes from the Neon Babylon, July 10): Let's remember that dumbass Dowd gobbled an entire edible that was clearly marked as a 16-dose edible. Hell, that kind of edible dose would would have given Rasta Bob Marley heart palpitations. I have been a California medical cannabis patient since 1998 and now, after recent heart surgery and a complication or two, I can not vaporize flowers ever again, and I depend entirely on edibles and tinctures for pain medication. [continues 166 words]
Newsrooms always get a lot of material on financial services-public offerings, merger announcements, that kind of thing. Those materials are getting more interesting these days. For instance, this came in on July 1, datelined from Mesquite in Clark County: "Cannabis Sativa, Inc. (OTCQB:CBDS) announced today that on June 30, 2014, it consummated the acquisition of Kush, a Nevada corporation ('Kush'), and its consolidated subsidiary, following which Kush became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the 'Merger'); ... Kush is a development stage company engaged in the research, development and licensing of specialized natural cannabis products, including cannabis formulas, edibles, topicals, strains, recipes and delivery systems." [continues 164 words]
Regarding Erin Ryan's July 7 column, "A child of the '80s grapples with the failures of the =80'war on drugs,'" the drug war is largely a war on marijuana consumers. Marijuana is by far the most popular illicit drug. In 2012, there were 749,825 marijuana arrests in the United States, almost 90 percent for simple possession. If the goal of marijuana prohibition is to subsidize violent drug cartels, prohibition is a grand success. The drug war distorts supply and demand dynamics so that big money grows on little trees. If the goal is to deter use, marijuana prohibition is a catastrophic failure. The United States has almost double the rate of marijuana use as the Netherlands, where marijuana is legal. [continues 73 words]
Medical Marijuana Access Spotty As Local Jurisdictions, Entrepreneurs Show Little Interest CARSON CITY - Much of urban Nevada is quickly moving forward to license medical marijuana dispensaries, but patients in some rural areas might find it difficult to obtain the drug because local governments are opting out. Another barrier to getting the drug is the apparent lack of interest by entrepreneurs to operate in the sparsely populated areas. Nevada's rural counties reported little to no interest from applicants wishing to establish dispensaries, according to the Nevada Association of Counties. [continues 924 words]
Restaurant's Slot Operator Removed The Gaming Control Board told owners of a Las Vegas restaurant Thursday to find a new slot machine route operator for the business's games - one whose owner doesn't have ties to medical marijuana. The decision marks the first time gaming regulators have ruled on a licensing matter concerning a gaming business in light of the state's fledgling medical pot industry. In May, the Control Board in an industry notice admonished gaming license-holders and prospective license applicants to stay away from the medical marijuana business in light of continued federal enforcement of anti-drug laws. [continues 564 words]
On June 3, New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd blew a lot of minds when she wrote about her experience in Colorado with one of the newly legal pot-laced candy bars now available there. What made it memorable was that Maureen got rocked hard by her stony treat. "I felt a scary shudder go through my body and brain. ... I lay curled up in a hallucinatory state for the next eight hours. ... I was thirsty but couldn't move to get water. ... I became convinced that I had died and no one was telling me" and so on and so forth. [continues 460 words]
Nevada's implementation of the law requiring medical marijuana establishment (MME) licensing is so far plagued by hidden financing, proxy companies, questionable campaign contributions and forbidden crossovers between gambling licensees and dispensary ownership in Clark County. The problem is that the state has capped the number of dispensaries by county, has required enormous capital to apply, and the licenses are awarded by politicians. What could possibly go wrong? When the state artificially creates a market, rather than markets creating themselves, there will be corruption. When the number of legalized outlets is capped by government, and only government can approve new applications, the opportunity for start up competition is capped as well. Without competition, there will be a few entrenched special interests who will dominate the industry. Nevada promised transparency in the selection process, but so far the process has been opaque. [continues 466 words]
War has been declared on the "war on drugs." Not by violent cartels, but by economists, public health workers, human rights advocates and others who believe that punitive, blanket prohibition is not only failing but has done enormous harm. Thousands took to the streets of more than 100 cities across the globe June 26, "reclaiming" the United Nations' International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking by protesting the fallout of the drug war, from health crises to mass incarceration. [continues 780 words]
Americans Fund Cartels That Have Kids Fleeing Since Oct. 1, U.S. Border Patrol agents have apprehended more than 52,000 children traveling alone from Central America and Mexico. Many of these kids made the dangerous trip to escape even more dangerous conditions in their home countries. According to a 2013 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees survey of 400 children who fled to the United States from Central America and Mexico, nearly half said drug cartel and gang violence had affected them personally, while 20 percent said they had been abused or otherwise experienced violence in their own homes. [continues 566 words]
Nevada
