CARSON CITY -- Sister Toni Woodson believes Nevada's marijuana laws encourage criminal activity.

The Roman Catholic nun, who lives in Henderson, would like to see those laws replaced with a system in which the state regulates sales of marijuana. Such a change would remove the drug from the criminal market and restrict sales to adults older than 21, she said.

"Marijuana should be categorized with alcohol and cigarettes, rather than with meth and horrible drugs," said Woodson, a member of the Community of the Holy Spirit. "Kids can get drugs today because the people who are selling them don't card. It is time for a change. I would like to see dealers removed from the street corners. I don't see people selling beer on the streets."

Woodson was among religious leaders endorsing on Tuesday the ballot question that would allow adults to possess and use up to one ounce of marijuana. A total of 32 ministers, rabbis and other members of the Nevada clergy signed statements saying they support Question 7, the Committee to Regulate and Control Marijuana's initiative to establish a state-regulated system in which marijuana would be grown by licensed farmers, sold in state-approved stores and taxed by the state.

Voters will decide the question in the Nov. 7 election.

Several of the religious leaders attended a news conference in Northern Nevada to announce their support for the question.

The Rev. Ivan Gunderman, senior pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Las Vegas, who did not attend the news conference but was among those endorsing the measure, said in an interview that the penalties for using marijuana are far worse than the offense merits.

"Sometimes the crime is worse than the problem," Gunderman said. "Look at Prohibition. It didn't stop people using alcohol. If anything it launched organized crime."

Gunderman said he knows people suffering serious illnesses who needed marijuana as medication. He said they did not qualify for the state's medical marijuana program, so they were forced to acquire it illegally and technically become criminals.

A state law permits Nevada residents with their doctors' permission to enroll in a medical marijuana program. Once enrolled, they can grow marijuana and use it as their medication.

Under current law, possession of up to an ounce of marijuana in Nevada is a misdemeanor, punishable by a $600 fine. Until 2001, the possession of any amount of marijuana in the Silver State was a felony.

Las Vegas police Lt. Stan Ol sen was disappointed that any member of the clergy would support Question 7.

"I would guess they don't have the true facts, or they could not make this decision," said Olsen, a longtime foe of marijuana. "I am sure the motives of these people are good, but if they knew the facts they would take a different position."

He said the argument that Nevada should legalize marijuana because laws have not stopped the use of the drug, is like saying the state should legalize burglary because laws have not stopped burglars.

Olsen asserted that passage of Question 7 isn't going to end the illegal dealing of drugs, or keep marijuana out of the hands of children.

"It isn't going to stop drug-pushing," he said.

Neal Levine, campaign manager of the Committee to Regulate and Control Marijuana, called Olsen's comments "incredibly demeaning and insulting" to the clergy. He said the religious leaders who support Question 7 reviewed it in detail, debated its merits and then showed courage by signing statements as supporters.

"They didn't look at it lightly," he said. "These people are the moral pillars of the community. The opposition to this is a coalition of law enforcement people. They have a vested interest in continuing the status quo. The religious leaders are looking at it objectively."

David Scheuncman, a Unitarian Universalist minister from Las Vegas, said funds used for the fight against marijuana could be better spent on other programs.

"The current approach has failed," he said. "They have hardly made a dent in marijuana consumption. Put the money to better use: Fire a drug dealer and hire a teacher."

Olsen accused the Committee to Regulate & Control Marijuana of being an out-of-state-funded organization that cares little about the interests of Nevadans.

The committee is largely financed by the Marijuana Policy Project of Washington, D.C. Four years ago, the organization was unsuccessful in a drive to convince voters in Nevada to back Question 9 and legalize up to three ounces of marijuana. That question lost by a vote of 39 percent for and 61 percent against.

A poll commissioned by the Stephens Media Group last month found 42 percent of voters back Question 7, while 51 percent oppose it and 7 percent are undecided.