cannabisnews.com: Panel Pitches City ID Cards for Medical Pot Users





Panel Pitches City ID Cards for Medical Pot Users
Posted by FoM on November 09, 2001 at 14:20:42 PT
By Ray Huard, Staff Writer 
Source: Union-Tribune
Sick people who use marijuana to relieve symptoms on their doctors' advice could get city identification cards to protect them from arrest by San Diego police under a plan recommended by a City Council committee yesterday.The proposal endorsed on a 4-1 vote by the Public Safety & Neighborhood Services Committee runs contrary to advice from police Chief David Bejarano, who said the city should first determine if there is a need for a city ID card.
"I am convinced that there is need," said Councilwoman Toni Atkins, chairwoman of the committee.If there wasn't a need, Atkins said, California voters would not have approved Proposition 215, the 1996 measure allowing the medical use of marijuana.Atkins said her goal is to bring the proposal to the full council for a vote by the end of the year.Bejarano, in a memo to the committee, said he "generally supports the concept of a medical marijuana identification card system." But he questioned the need for a city program.Over the past two years, he wrote, the police have encountered only 12 cases in which people found with marijuana said they used it for medicinal purposes. Of those, he said, five were found to be legitimate medical marijuana users.The chief said any ID card program should be run by the San Diego County Health Department rather than by the city.But Councilman Ralph Inzunza Jr. said a city ID card program is needed because county officials have declined to start one."We, as a city, have to step forward," Inzunza said.Proposed state legislation would establish a statewide ID card program.But Dale Kelly Bankhead, a member of the city's Medical Marijuana Task Force, said the city shouldn't wait for the state to act."We cannot predict what will happen in Sacramento," Bankhead said. "In the meantime, folks in San Diego don't have the mechanism to prevent unnecessary arrests."In establishing the ID card program, Inzunza said, the city also must amend local ordinances to make it a crime to copy, sell, counterfeit or otherwise abuse the cards. He said the city also must establish limits on how much marijuana a cardholder could have.Atkins said the city also must make it clear that a city ID card wouldn't protect medical marijuana users from arrest by federal, state or county law enforcement agencies, nor would it be valid beyond city limits.Under the committee proposal, which was developed by the citizens task force, the ID card program would be administered by a nonprofit medical agency. The task force was created by the council in May to develop guidelines on implementing Proposition 215.Councilman Brian Maienschein, who voted against the proposal, said the city should wait until the courts resolve a conflict between state law, which allows medical marijuana use, and federal law, which prohibits it."There's still some issues that need to be worked out by the courts, and for us to get ahead of these I don't think is wise," Maienschein said.Atkins and Inzunza said San Francisco and several other California cities and counties have ID card programs.Source: San Diego Union Tribune (CA)Author: Ray Huard, Staff Writer Published: November 8, 2001 Copyright: 2001 Union-Tribune Publishing Co.Contact: letters uniontrib.com Website: http://www.uniontrib.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Medical Marijuana Information Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/medical.htmID Card for Marijuana Patients Urged http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10974.shtmlSan Diego Officials Urge IDs for Medical Pot Users http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10574.shtml
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Comment #3 posted by Sandino on November 09, 2001 at 20:07:12 PT:
"Just Say Nothing"
I used to live in Escondido, California, which is in San Diego county and let me tell you the last thing that I would ever do is give the MAN there any information (name, address, SS#, ect.)about anything. You can be assured that all information given will be used againist you in the future. Thank You Not. S.A. Homes
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Comment #2 posted by E_Johnson on November 09, 2001 at 15:22:32 PT
Let's wait for the Republicans to get into power!
Councilman Brian Maienschein, who voted against the proposal, said the city should wait until the courts resolve a conflict between state law, which allows medical marijuana use, and federal law, which prohibits it.Since this is an issue of local and state control being pitted against the Big Federal Government, I think we should wait until we have an administration run by Republicans, and then the California medical marijuana issue will be resolved. Because Republicans understand the importance of local community control.Republicans are committed politically to the course of not squashing the little guy with some huge federal mandate invented from inside the Beltway.Republicans are against the federal behemoth running roughshod over the wisdom and experience of the hard working sensible citizens at state and local level.But... what... umm... oh ... the Republicans ARE in power in the federal government? The Republicans are the ones running roughshod over the hard working state and local people who have chosen, according to their own wisdom and experience, to accept medical marijuana into their communities?Well now --- how in the heck do we explain THAT?Isn't that confusing? I guess this is our political system on pot!
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Comment #1 posted by Elfman_420 on November 09, 2001 at 15:16:07 PT
Horray for San Diego
Somebody has to do something.. San Diego isn't exactly the most smoker-friendly city, but what these police chiefs need to realize is that somebody needs to do something when nobody else is willing to.I am from San Diego county, originally, and I am glad to see they are doing something.
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