« Judge rules that pot dispensary was operating as a “legitimate business.” | Main | Cannabis Buyers’ Club launches a chatroom forum on their website »
Expensive ID cards a tool for marijuana patients to be verified
By Hempology | April 6, 2008
Fri, 4 Apr 2008
Appeal-Democrat (Marysville, CA)
Andrea Koskey
POT ID CARDS APPROVED
Medical marijuana users in Yuba County now have an identification card to verify possession of the drug.
The card, which will cost $126, was approved by county supervisors Tuesday. The card is meant to provide uniformity across the state and give law enforcement an easier way to verify legal use of marijuana for medical purposes.
Suzanne Nobles, director of the county’s health and human services department, said roughly half of that fee will go to the state for administrative work and half will stay in Yuba County.
Supervisors adopted the fees in a 4-1 vote with Chairman Dan Logue being the lone dissenting vote.
Logue said he doesn’t agree with medical marijuana and did not support the creation of ID cards from the beginning.
“I don’t think it’s needed,” he said when asked why he voted no. “Because federal law does not support state ordinance, I’m going to side with federal law.”
Representatives from Safe Access Now, a nonprofit organization promoting legal access to medical marijuana, have said the ID card will make it easier for legitimate users to carry the drug.
“This is a tool for bona fide patients to be verified, and it gives law enforcement added confidence that patients are who they say they are,” Aaron Smith, state coordinator for Safe Access Now, said when a request for the cards was introduced to the county.
The county board approved the need for the program in December to stay in compliance with state law. To date, 35 counties in California have implemented programs.
The Compassionate Use Act was passed in 1996 allowing doctors to prescribe the use of marijuana for medical purposes. Then in 2003, SB 420 was approved by state legislators enabling the Department of Health Services to create an ID card program.
Topics: Articles | Comments Off
Comments are closed.