cannabisnews.com: Medical Marijuana Localization!





Medical Marijuana Localization!
Posted by FoM on July 19, 1999 at 14:18:04 PT
Helen L. Huntley
Source: Daily Independent Online
Pot-head. Druggie. Burner. These names have been synonymous with marijuana use since the 1960's. But in November of 1996, more than 55 percent of California voters said yes to Proposition 215, which permitted marijuana use for medical purposes. 
Since that time, the application and enforcement of the law has been erratic and the subject of intense criticism, according to Attorney General Bill Lockyer of the California Department of Justice. In January of this year, the Attorney General formed the Medical Marijuana Task Force in order to develop recommendations for responsible implementation of Proposition 215. The 29-member task force is comprised of representatives from groups of patients, police officers, sheriff deputies, narcotics officers, district attorneys, doctors and local government officials in California. According to Lockyer, the task force has met regularly in an effort to reach the broadest possible agreement on a safe, fair and enforceable set of recommendations for Proposition 215. "This was not an easy issue. For the past three years law enforcement, doctors and seriously-ill Californians have struggled to find an appropriate manner to respect the will of the voters and protect public safety," said Lockyer. "The task force's recommendations will help legislators and others clarify the shortcomings in Proposition 215 while protecting the interests of law enforcement and the seriously ill." Some of the major provisions of the task force's recommendations include: -- Establishing a registry identification program to be administered by the Department of Health Services in conjunction with county health departments for the purposes of identifying individuals authorized to engage in medical use of marijuana -- Recommendation to the Department of Health Services be responsible for determining what amount of medical marijuana is appropriate for patients -- Permitting the regulated operation of cooperative cultivation projects and provide regulations be developed for the operation and supervision of such cooperatives -- Clarifying those cases where medical marijuana use may be authorized and requires the patient's personal physician make the recommendations The task force's recommendations were amended into Senate Bill 848 and were heard in the Assembly Health Committee, where it was passed. The bill now goes before the Assembly Appropriations Committee, but the date it will be heard has not been confirmed, according to the Department of Justice. Sun, Jul 18, 1999 The Daily Independent Online - Copyright © 1999http://www.ridgecrestca.com/news/N18Memalo13200.html
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