Marijuana question draws big contributions

Both supporters and opponents of the ballot initiative to legalize small amounts of marijuana drew large contributions, according to campaign spending reports filed this week.

The supporters, calling themselves Nevadans for Responsible Law Enforcement, raised more than $1.8 million to buy advertisements and TV commercials in the effort. All but $1,000 of the total, however, came from just one source: the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C.

And the movement seeking to legalize use and possession of three ounces of pot or less has spent all but $148,000.

There are two organized groups seeking to convince voters legalizing pot is a bad idea, Nevadans Against Legalizing Marijuana and The Committee to Keep Nevada Respectable.

Nevadans Against Legalizing Marijuana raised just $6,325 and spent all but $100.

But The Committee to Keep Nevada Respectable raised $143,700 as of mid-October, the bulk of it from three casino corporations.

The biggest contributor was the Venetian Casino Resort which gave the group two checks totaling $71,000.

Boyd Gaming and Park Place Entertainment each contributed $25,000.

The committee has spent $128,265 in its battle to keep marijuana on the list of illegal drugs in Nevada.