AJR 8 — Urges the Congress of the United States to deschedule marijuana as a schedule I controlled substance. (BDR R-615)

(ReprintedAssembly withJoint amendmentsResolution adoptedNo. on April 21, 2023) FIRST REPRINT A.J.R.

88–Assemblymen ASSEMBLYD’Silva, JOINTBrittney RESOLUTIONMiller; NO.

8–AAnderson, SSEMBLYMENBrown-May, D’SILVA,Carter, BRITTNEYCohen, MConsidine, ILLER;DeLong, Dickman, Gallant, González, Gorelow, La Rue Hatch, C.H.

ANDERSONMiller, ,Monroe-Moreno, BROWNMosca, -MAYNewby, ,Nguyen, CARTER,O’Neill, COHENOrentlicher, ,Peters, CONSIDINE,Summers-Armstrong, DTaylor, ELONGThomas, ,Torres, DWatts ICKMANand ,Yeager GJoint ALLANT,Sponsors: GONZÁLEZ , GORELOW , LA R UE H ATCH, C.H.

MSenators ILLE,Donate, MONROEFlores, -MHammond, ORENO,D. M OSCA, NEWBY , NGUYEN , O’NEIL, ORENTLICHER, PETERS, UMMERS -ARMSTRONG , TAYLOR, THOMAS , ORRES, WATTS AND YEAGER M ARCH 27, 2023 ____________ JOINTSPONSORS :

ENATORSHarris, DNeal, ONATE,Nguyen, LORES,Ohrenschall, HAMMONDSpearman ,and D.Stone FILE NUMBER..........

HARRIS, NEAL, GUYEN , OHRENSCHALL , PEARMAN AND STONE ____________ Referred to Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections SUMMARY—Urges the Congress of the United States to deschedule marijuana as a schedule I controlled substance.

(BDR R-615) FISCAL NOTE:

Effect on Local Government:

No.

Effect on the State:

No.

~ EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new;

matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

W HEREAS,HEREAS , Under Nevada law, cannabis and marijuana share an identical meaning;

and W HEREAS,HEREAS , Under the Controlled Substance Act, drugs, substances and certain chemicals used to make drugs are classified into five distinct schedules depending upon the acceptable medical use of the drug and the potential of the drug for abuse;

and W HEREAS,HEREAS , Schedule I drugs, substances or chemicals are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse;

and - *AJR8_R1* – 2 – W HEREAS , Cannabis is classified as a schedule I drug, alongside heroin, although marijuana has many well documented medical uses;

andandlthough marijuana has many well documented medical W HEREAS , According to the National Academy of Medicine, modern medical research has confirmed the beneficial uses for marijuana in treating or alleviating the pain, nausea and other symptoms associated with a variety of debilitating medical conditions, including cancer, multiple sclerosis and HIV/AIDS;

and W HEREAS , In 1998 and 2000, Nevada voters approved the Nevada Medical Marijuana Act, a referendum initiative intended to - 82nd Session (2023) – 2 – amend the Nevada Constitution to legalize marijuana for medical use in Nevada, which passed in two consecutive elections, as is required for a constitutional amendment;

and W HEREAS , The medical value of cannabis was enshrined into Nevada’s constitution through the addition of Article 4, Section 38 of the Nevada Constitution, which requires the Nevada Legislature to provide by law for the use by a patient, upon the advice of his physician, of a plant of the genus Cannabis for the treatment or alleviation of cancer, glaucoma, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, severe, persistent nausea of cachexia resulting from these or other chronic or debilitating medical conditions, epilepsy and other disorders characterized by seizure, multiple sclerosis and other disorders characterized by muscular spasticity, or other conditionsconditionsher approved pursuant to law for such treatment;

and - *AJR8_R1* – 3 – W HEREAS , In its State of the States 2021 report, the advocacy group Safe Access Now estimated that medical marijuana customers at state dispensaries were likely to pay as much as $350 before they could access and pay for the cost of marijuana;

and W HEREAS , Operating a business with large amounts of cash on hand is a public safety threat, causing such a business to become a - 82nd Session (2023) – 3 – target for crime, thereby putting the safety of staff and patients at risk;

and W HEREAS , Marijuana does not belong in schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, a classificationintendedclassification intended for exceptionally dangerous substances with high potential for abuse and no currently accepted medical use;

now, therefore, be it R ESOLVED BY THE AASSEMBLY SSEMBLY AND SENATE OF THE STATE OF N EVADA , OINTLYJOINTLY , That the members of the 82nd Session of the Nevada Legislature hereby urge Congress to support legislation to remove cannabis from schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act;

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