Press Release: October 19, 2006

Marijuana Initiative Files Lawsuit Against All 7 Clark County Commissioners, 6 Members of the Nevada Board of Regents, Washoe County District Attorney Dick Gammick, and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Lieutenant Stan Olsen
Requests Immediate Judicial Action to Stop Public Officials from Spending Tax Dollars Against Question 7

CONTACT: Eliet Henderson, Assistant Director of Communications, 702-425-2242, ext. 805

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- The Committee to Regulate and Control Marijuana (CRCM) today filed an emergency Petition for Writ of Mandamus with the Eighth Judicial District Court in Las Vegas, urging the Court to issue an injunction to halt the use of tax dollars by public officials against Question 7 -- the initiative to tax and regulate marijuana.

CRCM’s lawsuit names all seven members of the Clark County Commission individually, as well as Washoe County District Attorney Dick Gammick, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Lieutenant Stan Olsen, and six members of the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education. In its petition, CRCM asserts that each of these individuals has violated Nevada’s state ethics law by expending public funds, time, or resources in opposition to Question 7.

“Several officials have violated the public’s trust by using tax dollars to oppose Question 7, and we’re urging the District Court to put an end to their unethical behavior,” said Neal Levine, CRCM campaign manager. “The people of Nevada deserve a fair and honest debate on Question 7, yet the illegal actions of several public officials serve only to improperly influence the outcome of the election.”

CRCM is also seeking a temporary restraining order to prohibit government officials and public employees in Nevada from violating the state’s law against the use of tax dollars to support or oppose ballot questions, and causing further irreparable harm to Nevada citizens and the democratic process. This action is critical, as several additional government officials -- including, most recently, some members of the Las Vegas City Council -- have been contemplating ways to illegally use tax dollars to campaign against Question 7.

The following District Court filings from the lawsuit can be found online at CRCM’s Web site:
http://www.RegulateMarijuana.org/home/pdf/CRCM_petition_for_writ.pdf
http://www.RegulateMarijuana.org/home/pdf/CRCM_supporting_documentation.pdf
http://www.RegulateMarijuana.org/home/pdf/CRCM_petitioner_affidavit.pdf

The Committee to Regulate and Control Marijuana (CRCM) is the Nevada ballot group that is dedicated to passing Question 7 -- the marijuana regulation initiative. Question 7 would remove all penalties for marijuana use by adults aged 21 and older in the privacy of their own homes, as well as create a system for the legal cultivation, distribution, and sale of up to one ounce of marijuana to adults. In exchange, Question 7 would institute reasonable safeguards on who may purchase marijuana and how marijuana is sold, double the maximum penalty for vehicular manslaughter while under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, or any drug, and double the maximum penalty for giving or selling marijuana to a minor. To learn more about Question 7, please visit our Web site at www.RegulateMarijuana.org.

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