Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Panel decides on further study of medical marijuana ID cards

Board of Supervisors to revisit issue in three months


By PEGGY LOWE
The Orange County Register


The Orange County Board of Supervisors today decided further study is
needed on whether the county should issue ID cards for medical
marijuana patients and instead ordered the health agency to draft a
policy and bring it back in three months.

After nearly four hours of testimony and debate, board members at
first failed to support even the draft ordinance. But they then
resurrected it and added another study list of potential issues,
including law enforcement's role, a survey of other counties' health
agencies and a look at the progress of San Diego's test of the state law.

An exasperated Chris Norby, the board's chair, argued that the board
had a moral imperative to offer relief to suffering, ill people and to
provide a leadership role in implementing a state law.

"They're asking us to make them law-abiders, not law-breakers," he
said of the many people who spoke in favor of the law, saying
marijuana helped their pain and wasting diseases when other drugs failed.

Supervisor Janet Nguyen, in one of her first votes since being sworn
in on March 27, voted against the plan, saying cannabis is still
illegal under federal law. She also wants to wait to see what happens
to a lawsuit filed by San Diego County, which sued the state because
it doesn't want to implement the ID card program.

"I think it's prudent for us to monitor the outcome of the decision
before taking action," Nguyen said.

Attorney William Paoli, who has threatened to sue the county if the
program is not created, said he was happy with the decision as it
showed at least some progress.

District Attorney Tony Rackauckas testified against the cards, saying
it will allow people to use marijuana at any time and all under a
county-approved process. People who just want to "escape from the
realities of life and get high for a while" will have an official
license, he said.

"It's going to increase the demand for marijuana in our county
substantially. So where are they going to get it?" Rack said. "Are we
going to be supporting drug cartels by increasing the demand for
marijuana in Orange County?"

But James Kapko, a Yorba Linda man who suffers from multiple
sclerosis, testified from his wheelchair that the state's medical
marijuana program has many safeguards. He got his doctor's approval --
and that doctor checked with two other specialists. And when Kapko
bought his cannabis at a dispensary, the vendor called two of his doctors.

"They don't just hand out marijuana by the bucketful," he said. "It's
not going to just be a wild free-for-all."

Contact the writer: (714) 285-2862 or plowe@...

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1660520.php

DaBronx