Rural Nevadans having hard time getting medical marijuana; legalized pot on several ballots

Forget about long drives from rural areas to visit an emergency room or to see a physician. Rural Nevadans are having a hard time making the trip to get their medical marijuana. "Eleven of Nevada’s 17 counties, all of them rural, saw no dispensary applications at all," reports James DeHaven for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "No applications for other related businesses, such as grow houses, were submitted either."

Meanwhile, in Oregon, at least 20 cities and counties "are racing to approve local taxes on marijuana in case voters in November decide to legalize recreational pot," despite a measure giving the state sole authority to tax marijuana, reports The Associated Press. "Measure 91 would let the state charge a tax of $35 for an ounce of buds, $10 for an ounce of leaves, and $5 for an immature plant."

"After expenses, the state would give 40 percent of the proceeds to schools; 20 percent to programs involving mental health, alcoholism and drug services; 15 percent to state police; 10 percent each to city and county law enforcement; and 5 percent to the Oregon Health Authority," AP writes. "Various economic studies suggest a state tax could raise from $16 million to $81 million a year. Most local taxes that have already been passed or proposed call for a 10 percent tax and exempt medical marijuana. Some local taxes, however, are as high as 20 percent and cover both types of sales."

Alaska, Oregon and Washington, D.C., will vote Nov. 4 on whether to legalize recreational marijuana, AP writes. "Voters in Colorado and Washington state approved recreational pot in 2012. A total of 16 communities in Colorado have imposed taxes on marijuana on top of a state tax. In Washington state, the law did not grant local governments such authority, though general local sales taxes still apply." (Read more)