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| San Diego Officials Urge IDs for Medical Pot Users |
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Posted by FoM on August 09, 2001 at 12:03:01 PT By Ray Huard, Union-Tribune Staff Writer Source: Union-Tribune 
San Diego should issue identification cards to medical marijuana users to protect them from arrest, a City Council committee recommended yesterday. If the proposal is adopted by the council, San Diego and San Francisco will be the only large California cities to issue such cards. "It will reduce the fear patients have of being prosecuted," said San Diego Councilman Ralph Inzunza Jr., who proposed the measure. Standing beside Inzunza at a City Hall news conference, Councilwoman Toni Atkins said, "San Francisco has successfully done this, and San Diego can do it too." San Francisco adopted a program last year allowing sick people with a doctor's note to pay a $25 fee to get a city identification card allowing them to use marijuana to relieve their symptoms. On a 4-1 vote yesterday, the San Diego council's Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee instructed a citizens Medical Marijuana Task Force to develop an identification card plan similar to San Francisco's. "Identification is the No. 1 issue on patients' and doctors' minds right now -- how do they prove they are legitimate users," said Juliana Humphrey, a defense lawyer and chairwoman of the task force. The task force was created by the council in May to develop guidelines on implementing Proposition 215, the 1996 ballot measure allowing the medical use of marijuana. Councilman Brian Maienschein voted against the identification card plan, saying it is premature. Maienschein 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. As proposed by Inzunza, the cards would be issued through the county Public Health Department and require agreement from the county Board of Supervisors, which is far from certain. "I probably wouldn't be for it," said Board of Supervisors chairman Bill Horn, reached by phone last night. "I really don't have an opinion about it at this point." If the county does not go along with the identification card plan, the city could issue cards through the Police Department, said Atkins, chairwoman of the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee. San Diego police would welcome a medical marijuana identification card plan, although they would prefer the cards be issued by the state or county, said Sgt. David Robowits. "An ID card would certainly ease the burden on officers," Robowits said. He said a county or state ID card would be best because they would apply to a larger area. The City Council is not scheduled to meet again until September. Inzunza said he hopes to have a identification program in place by the end of the year. Mayor Dick Murphy said he is undecided on the issue. "I am not opposed to Proposition 215, which authorized medical marijuana, but I do not have enough information at this time to take a definitive position on a voluntary identification card program," Murphy said in a telephone interview. Historically, San Diego has been considered a conservative city and not one to take a lead on such social matters. Several observers of city politics said the old perception no longer applies. "You're going to see city decision-makers, city policy-makers, move in a more liberal direction," said Steve Erie, director of the urban studies and planning program at the University of California San Diego. "This is not a one-time deal. You're going to see a lot more of that, particularly with this council." The election of Donna Frye certainly changed the dynamics, and Murphy has shown himself to be pragmatic on a whole range of issues." Frye, an environmental activist, was elected in a June special election, giving Democrats a 5-4 edge on the nine-member council, which is officially nonpartisan. "San Diego voters are pretty mainstream, pretty evenly balanced between Republicans and Democrats," said veteran political consultant Tom Shepard. Generally, city voters tend to be moderate, even tilting toward liberal on cultural issues, Shepard said. Proposition 215 actually drew more support within San Diego's city limits, where 56.1 percent of voters favored it, than its statewide total of 55.6 percent of voters in favor. Overall, San Diego County gave the measure 52.1 percent of the vote. Atkins said she has scheduled a Sept. 26 committee hearing on a proposal to distribute free needles to intravenous drug users as a way to reduce the spread of hepatitis and other diseases. The council deadlocked 4-4 on needle exchange in December when one council seat was vacant. Atkins said she thinks a majority will vote for it this time. "We're focused on problem solving," Atkins said. "To me, that's the issue." Source: San Diego Union Tribune (CA) Related Articles & Web Site: Medical Marijuana Information Links Medicinal Marijuana Task Force Approved Lawmakers Back Medicinal Use of Pot CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archives Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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| Comment #1 posted by qqqq on August 10, 2001 at 01:21:16 PT |
| qqqq,,is dddd in the opposite universe,,,,I think it was some old episode of Superman,where there was an opposite/negative world,,,,whatever.... ...qqqq will try to express more level headed, and coherent viewpoints,,,as opposed to the laborious sardonic cynism of that bitter,confused dddd loudmouth jibber-jabber.
Orange County is sortof a hotbed of wealthy Republican ...I might even do it for a brand new SUV,,,you know,,a
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