Advocates Welcome State-Issued Medical Marijuana ID Cards

ASA Press Release: May 25th, 2005

Advocates Welcome State-Issued Medical Marijuana ID Cards

Warn Against Continuing Unlawful Activity by Law Enforcement

Sacramento -- California Department of Health Services today launched a
pilot medical marijuana ID card program as outlined by a law passed by the
California legislature in 3 California counties Amador, Del Norte, and
Mendocino. Trinity County will begin its program in a couple of weeks. A
wider state roll-out of the piloted system will commence this summer on
August 1.

Americans for Safe Access (ASA), a medical marijuana rights organization,
supports the program but points out that California law specifies (and DHS
reiterates) participation in the ID program is voluntary for patients and
the patient’s primary caregiver. ASA Legal Director Kris Hermes said, "We
welcome this ID card system, but are concerned that law enforcement be
well-informed that legal patients and caregivers are not required to
obtain one, and should not be subject to harassment and seizure of their
medicine if they don't choose to sign up."

A CHP spokesman was quoted on February 16 in the San Francisco Chronicle
saying that the agency would honor the state-issued ID cards but would
continue its long-standing policy of confiscating marijuana seized from
motorists unless a card was produced.

Joe Elford, ASA's Staff Attorney, said the CHP's position is illegal
because SB 420 does not require that patients have a state-issued
identification card, only a written or verbal doctor's authorization. ASA
filed a lawsuit filed in February, naming the California Highway Patrol
and Attorney General Bill Lockyer for CHP seizures of marijuana from
people who have provided a written doctor's recommendation. "One of the
worst problems patients experience, bar none, is the unlawful arrest of
patients and seizure of their medicine by police," said Elford. "We need
to ensure that law enforcement respect qualified patients regardless of
whether they hold an ID card."
# # # #
>From the website of the California Department of Health Services:
http://www.dhs.ca.gov/hisp/ochs/MMP/default.htm

"The Medical Marijuana Program (MMP), within the California Department of
Health Services, was established in 2004 to facilitate the registration of
qualified patients and their caregivers, through a statewide
identification system. Participation in the program is voluntary for
patients and the patient’s primary caregiver. Through their county of
residence, qualified patients and their caregivers may apply for and be
issued an identification card. This card will be used to verify those
patients and caregivers that have authorization to possess, grow,
transport and/or use medical marijuana in California. To facilitate the
verification of authorized cardholders, a registration database is
available on the Internet http://www.calmmp.ca.gov

--
Rebecca Saltzman
Executive Assistant
Americans for Safe Access
(510) 251-1856
http://www.safeaccessnow.org