El Dorado Working on Medical Pot ID Card Program

By Cathy Locke, The Sacramento Bee, Calif.

Feb. 22–El Dorado County supervisors have directed the Public Health Department to seek a cost-effective way to implement a medical marijuana identification card program required by state law.

The card is intended to allow patients with a physician’s recommendation to use marijuana for medical purposes to readily identify themselves to law enforcement officials.

The program is required under state Senate Bill 420, passed in 2003 to clarify Proposition 215, the 1996 initiative approved by California voters allowing medical use of marijuana.

Gayle Erbe-Hamlin, county public health director, said the card program had been stalled by lawsuits brought by some counties that were concerned about the conflict with federal law.

It was resumed following the state attorney general’s advice that operating an identification card program does not aid and abet marijuana users in committing a federal crime.

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Copyright (c) 2007, The Sacramento Bee, Calif.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.

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