Nevada Senate considering bill to increase marijuana penalties
Last update: May 6, 2009
Recent news
On March 30, 2009, the Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony on SB 262, a bill that will increase criminal penalties for marijuana cultivation.
Please tell your state senator to vote against this unnecessary bill if it receives a floor vote.
SB 262 would prescribe penalties for the cultivation of marijuana in greater amounts than is allowed for medical use. Among the penalties this bill will establish are one to four years in prison and a fine of $5,000 for possession of only one additional marijuana plant and one to four years and a fine of $5,000 for possession of marijuana for the purpose of sale.
In addition, this bill may subject anyone who cultivates, harvests, processes, or even dries marijuana to penalties for racketeering and immorality. These penalties may include criminal forfeiture, civil forfeiture, civil lawsuits, and imprisonment for 5-10 years.
With Nevada in such a dire financial situation, it is shocking that the state legislature would be spending their time debating a bill like this. Especially since 44% of Nevadans voted to opt out of marijuana prohibition entirely in November of 2006!
Ask your legislators to support ending prohibition
The Nevada Legislature only meets in odd-numbered years, so please make the most of this session by asking your legislators to call for sensible marijuana laws.
You can help encourage lawmakers to support rational marijuana policies by downloading and distributing our brochure on taxing and regulating marijuana, which explains how this real solution would save taxpayers money, make our communities safer, and keep marijuana out of the hands of minors. This is a great piece of literature to leave with your legislators, community leaders, family, co-workers, and friends who might need a little educating on the subject. You can also take these to events and hand them out to attendees, or simply leave them on car windshields.
To help in your discussions with those willing to listen to reason, use our "Marijuana Prohibition Facts" handout, which gives statistics on the failures of marijuana prohibition.
Another excellent tool that you may find useful is our "Effective Arguments for Taxing and Regulating Marijuana," which will help you respond to common arguments you'll encounter while engaging others in conversation about this crucial issue.
With 44% of Nevada voters electing to replace marijuana prohibition with a system of taxation and regulation in 2006, it is clearly only a matter of time before a majority realizes that the time to end marijuana prohibition is now.
MPP financial assistance program for medical marijuana patients
MPP will cover the cost of Nevada's medical marijuana program application fee for low-income patients. At $200 per application, Nevada's medical marijuana program is the most expensive in the nation. The process for acquiring a state-issued ID card in Nevada is also more complex than in most states, as patients are required first to pay a $50 fee for the application materials, then to pay another $150 when they submit their application for consideration.
Although the Department of Agriculture was at one time in charge of processing patient applications, this duty has been shifted to the Department of Health, perhaps due to the administrative difficulties that the Department of Agriculture has recently encountered.
For more information on how to apply for MPP's financial assistance program, click here. If you would like to sponsor an applicant by donating to help cover the cost of the application, please click here.
Stay connected
Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project. If you have any questions concerning the status of marijuana policy reform in Nevada, you can contact MPP at state@mpp.org. Also, be sure to subscribe to MPP's free legislative alert service today if you haven't done so already.
