Today, on the steps of the State Capitol Building in Carson City, Nevada, the group Nevadans for Sensible Marijuana Laws unveiled the details of a proposed 2012 ballot initiative that would establish a taxed and regulated marijuana market in that state.
The campaign will need to collect 97,002 valid signatures by November 2010 in order to qualify for the November 2012 ballot. If the initiative were adopted, it would, in the words of NSML campaign manager Dave Schwartz, “give Nevada the best marijuana laws in the world.”
Among its specifics, the proposal would:
- Make the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana and any marijuana paraphernalia legal for adults 21 and older,
- Allow adults to purchase marijuana from approximately 120 retail stores spread throughout the state,
- Give state licenses to 50 suppliers to cultivate and distribute marijuana,
- Establish regulations for packaging and regulating marijuana that would ensure consumers know what they’re buying and that their marijuana is free of any additives or contaminants,
- And generate much-needed tax revenue for Nevada, steering the profits away from drug cartels and the criminal market and into the hands of legitimate state businesses.
The proposal would also implement restrictions to prevent abuse and make it more difficult for minors to obtain marijuana. Retail marijuana stores would be required to check customer IDs and face significant penalties for selling to minors. Penalties for driving under the influence of marijuana would be maintained.
Simply put, this is the best proposal ever for a regulated marijuana market.
Similar proposals to tax and regulate marijuana in Nevada failed to win majorities in 2002 (39% support) and 2006 (44% support), but each year more and more Nevadans are realizing the great failure of marijuana prohibition and the need for better, common sense laws, such as the one proposed today in Carson City. Let’s hope they become a majority by 2012. If that happens, Nevada can set a national example for how to lift marijuana prohibition and implement a well-constructed, regulated marijuana market.
For more information about the proposal, visit www.SensibleMarijuanaLaws.org.