Tulare County Action Alert

Dear Medical Marijuana Supporter,

Next Tuesday, May 16th, the Tulare County Board of Supervisors will be voting on the implementation of the medical marijuana ID card program. The ID cards would be voluntary for patients and caregivers to obtain through the county and serve to further protect them from detainment, arrest or seizure of their medicine by state and local law enforcement.

This is a major step in the right direction towards securing safe and legal access to medical marijuana in Tulare County.

Please find your county supervisor on the list (at bottom of message) and take a few minutes to e-mail and/or call, politely urging them to support the medical marijuana ID card program in Tulare County.

It is also extremely important that we fill the board chambers with patients and advocates backing the program. Please attend Tuesday’s meeting to show your support for safe, legal and hassle-free access to medical marijuana. Feel free to contact me for meeting details.

Board Meeting Time and Location:

Tuesday, May 16th – 9:00am
(this is the first item on the agenda, please show up early)
County Administration Building
2800 West Burrel Avenue
Visalia, CA 93291
Map: http://tinyurl.com/rsdac

*This is a professional meeting; please dress in business or business/casual attire.

Contact information for Tulare County Supervisors:
*District 1, Supervisor Allen Ishida
(Representing the communities of Exeter, Farmersville, Lindsay, Poplar, Strathmore, Three Rivers and a small northeast portion of Visalia)
Email: aishida [at] co.tulare.ca.us
Phone: (559) 733-6271

*District 2, Supervisor Connie Conway
(Representing the communities of Alpaugh, Earlimart, Pixley, Richgrove, Tipton, Tulare and Woodville)
Email: cconway [at] co.tulare.ca.us
Phone: (559) 733-6271

*District 3, Supervisor Phillip Cox
(Representing the City of Visalia)
Email: pcox [at] co.tulare.ca.us
Phone: (559) 733-6271

*District 4, Supervisor Steve Worthley
(Representing the communities of Badger, Cutler, Dinuba, Goshen, Orosi, Woodlake and a small northwest portion of Visalia)
Email: sworthley [at] co.tulare.ca.us
Phone: (559) 733-6271

*District 5, Supervisor Jim Maples
(Representing the communities of Camp Nelson, Ducor, Kennedy Meadows, Porterville, Posey, Springville and Terra Bella)
Email: jmaples [at] co.tulare.ca.us
Phone: (559) 733-6271

Thank you for your support of this important program. Once implemented, not only will it reduce patients’ risk, it will also further strengthen California’s decade-old medical marijuana law.

Sincerely,

F. Aaron Smith
Safe Access Now
fa_smith [at] yahoo.com
Ph: (707) 291-0076
Fax: (866) 204-1341
http://www.safeacccessnow.com



Here are some talking points that you can use when addressing your county supervisor on the ID card issue:

* The ID card protects patients and caregivers from lengthy detainment, arrest, seizure of property or unnecessary court proceedings. While patients are not required to participate in the ID card program, many choose to because they cannot afford the personal risk of wrongful prosecution that those without ID cards face.

* The ID card program will greatly assist law-enforcement in distinguishing patients with legitimate medical marijuana recommendations from those who are using false or counterfeit documentation. The county-administered ID program clarifies the current patchwork of patient documentation and frees our law enforcement and judicial system to focus on genuine criminal activity.

* Voters’ support of safe and legal access to medical marijuana has only grown stronger since the passage of the Compassionate Use Act (Prop. 215) in 1996. According to an independent field poll conducted in 2004, 74% of Californians believe that patients should not be arrested for using marijuana as medicine. The statewide Medical Marijuana ID card program simply provides additional protection to qualified patients and further solidifies our state law and the will of the voters.
Please send a copy of any e-mail messages to me so that I can gauge the impact we have in each county.

* The county will not incur any additional costs by implementing the ID card program because the county is allowed to set its own fees to recoup the start-up and operating costs. For example, the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program, implemented in 1999, was able to realize a $986,000 budget surplus after two years of operation. This also allowed the state to significantly reduce the fees imposed on patients.

* The county has a legal responsibility to the State of California to implement the program.