NOTICE SAN DIEGO PATIENTS:

Medical Marijuana of San Diego has temporarily moved to the San Diego/Orange County Border for the following reason:
There are no Dispensaries or Co-ops to obtain Medical Marijuana in the San Diego county Currently, The Board of Supervisors of San Diego County hasn't implemented the Marijuana Laws, so as a result there isn't a Dispensary or Co-op in San Diego, requiring all Medical Marijuana patients to travel to Orange or LA county to obtain Medical Marijuana legally.

There are 58 counties in the State of California. Thus far 35 counties have implemented the Medical Marijuana Laws and are issuing County/State ID cards (In July, Orange county became the 35th county). Note SB420 states that "It shall not be necessary for a person to obtain an ID card in order to claim the protections of Prop 215."

Currently, San Diego County hasn't implemented the Marijuana Laws, so as a result there isn't a dispensary or Coop in San Diego requiring all San Diego Medical Marijuana patients to travel to Orange or LA county to obtain medicine legally. Dr. Jimenez), Bruce Margolin, Esq. (www.1800420laws.com), CAnorml ( canorml.org) , and Americans for Safe Access ( www.safeaccessnow.org) strongly believe you should not purchase medical marijuana from a "Drug Dealer" or from the "Black Market" for your safety and it is illegal - Prop 215 will not protect you. Instead obtain your medical marijuana from a reputable Dispensary or COOP/Collective. We believe the burden should be placed on the State of California to allow for collective and cooperative operations or dispensaries to acquire medical marijuana. There are approximately 400 Dispensaries, Collectives and Coops operating in the Southern California area. Most are located in the LA County because the Board of Supervisors voted to pass the state's most progressive ordinance to regulate medical cannabis dispensaries in May, 2006.

Note SB420 states that "It shall not be necessary for a person to obtain an ID card in order to claim the protections of Prop 215."

New San Diego Medical Marijuana patients will receive a 1 year recommendation (instead of 6 months) by providing proof or residence in the San Diego County, and will be able to obtain Medical Marijuana immediately after the doctor's visit. Please let the doctor know if you are from San Diego. The Orange County office is on the north side of the San Diego County and Orange County border.

Updated: Monday, November 05, 2007 11:02:27 PM

SAN DIEGO OPPOSES COUNTY ON POT SUIT

NEW: 12/28/2007 2:26:02 PM

City Files Amicus Brief for Medical ID Cards

In the legal tug of war between the county and state over medical marijuana, the city of San Diego has sided with Sacramento and voters.

Lawyers from the City Attorney's Office have filed an amicus brief in the lawsuit between San Diego County and the state Department of Justice.

County supervisors hope a panel of appellate judges will relieve them of their obligation under state law to issue identification cards to qualified patients.

The case asks the 4th District Court of Appeal to reverse a ruling last year from Superior Court Judge William R. Nevitt Jr., who said the county must follow state law and issue the ID cards.

"The city has a compelling interest in ensuring its citizens have the benefit of the medical marijuana program," states the amicus brief, which was filed last week.

Identification programs assist police and offer comfort and security to those who are entitled to use medical marijuana, the nine-page brief says.

To date, 35 of the state's 58 counties have agreed to issue the identification cards to medical marijuana patients. The idea is to provide a way for police and other law enforcement officers to distinguish legitimate patients from recreational drug users.

San Diego County sued the state rather than issue the cards. Supervisors said they could not endorse a program that violates federal law, even though Nevitt said the state law requires no such thing.

San Bernardino County is a co-plaintiff in the case. Merced County had joined the suit, but supervisors there opted out and agreed to issue the ID cards.

Marijuana is illegal to use and possess under federal laws, even though California and 10 other states have adopted legislation permitting medicinal use of the drug.

Patients and their advocates have said for years that marijuana relieves chronic symptoms of cancer, AIDS and other diseases.

California voters adopted a legal allowance for the medicinal use of marijuana in 1996, with 56 percent in favor. In San Diego County, the

initiative received 52 percent support.

But implementation of the law has been slow because of the federal ban. The initiative did not specify how much cannabis a person could grow or possess, or outline how the drug would be acquired or transported.

Follow-up legislation passed in 2003 said qualified patients can

possess up to 8 ounces of dried marijuana and cultivate up to 12 plants.

Amicus briefs have no official bearing, other than to alert judges of third-party interest in a case.

Attorneys defending the state medical marijuana laws welcomed support from San Diego, one of the largest cities in the nation to pass guidelines spelling out how much marijuana a patient can cultivate.

"San Diego's brief very strongly makes some points that I don't think any of the other parties can adequately make, which is how very important it is to have these ID cards and the burden it's placing on police to not be able to easily distinguish medical marijuana patients from recreational users," said Joe Elford of Americans for Safe Access, an advocacy group co-defending the case against the state.

"Legally speaking, I can't say (the amicus brief) will help a tremendous amount. However, it does demonstrate to the court that it's not the entire county of San Diego that's opposed to the medical marijuana law."

A spokesman for Mayor Jerry Sanders, who was the city's police chief from 1993 to 1999, said Sanders supports medical marijuana for legitimate patients and has told San Diego police to respect the state law.

But Aaron Klein, a medical marijuana patient from North Park, said at least half of the officers he and other patients encounter do not

tolerate marijuana possession or use.

"The majority of police officers are not educated about Proposition 215," Klein said. "They tell people medical marijuana doesn't work, that it's a farce."

More than 20,000 patients in San Diego County have no regular access to medical marijuana since last year, when law enforcement officials cracked down on shops that sold the drug over the counter, Klein said.

"A significant number of those people will be dead before somebody does something," Klein said.

Oral arguments in the legal fight between state and county attorneys will not likely be heard by appellate judges until summer. A ruling is expected later next year.