cannabisnews.com: State To Issue ID Cards To Medicinal Pot Users State To Issue ID Cards To Medicinal Pot Users Posted by CN Staff on February 16, 2005 at 08:12:48 PT By Patrick Hoge, Chronicle Staff Writer Source: San Francisco Chronicle California health officials plan to issue identification cards to medical marijuana users that would prohibit state and local authorities from seizing their stashes or prosecuting them, officials said Tuesday. The cards will be available this summer for patients in at least 10 counties, including Marin and Sonoma, and statewide by the end of the year, said state Department of Health Services spokeswoman Norma Arceo. All cards will have photographs, she said, and the state will have a 24- hour, toll-free number that police can call to verify that identification cards are authentic. Five other states -- Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon and Washington -- have similar ID cards, Arceo said. News of California's card program came as an advocacy group in Berkeley filed a lawsuit Tuesday, claiming the California Highway Patrol has seized marijuana from people who have provided a written doctor's recommendation. "It's a sorry, sorry state of affairs when people fear having their property taken by cops rather than criminals,'' said Joseph Elford, an attorney with Americans for Safe Access, which filed the suit in Alameda County Superior Court in Oakland. A study by the group last year estimated the cost to state and local government of processing such cases was about $4 million a year. CHP spokesman Tom Marshall said Tuesday that the agency would honor the state-issued ID cards but would continue its long-standing policy of confiscating marijuana seized from motorists until the cards were issued. Snipped:Complete Article: http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/issuecards.htmSource: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)Author: Patrick Hoge, Chronicle Staff WriterPublished: Wednesday, February 16, 2005 - Page B - 1 Copyright: 2005 San Francisco Chronicle Contact: letters sfchronicle.comWebsite: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/ Related Articles & Web Sites:Americans For Safe Accesshttp://www.safeaccessnow.orgMedical Marijuana Information Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/medical.htmGroup Sues State To Stop CHP Pot Confiscationshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20245.shtmlSuit Challenges CHP Confiscation of Medical Pothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20240.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #1 posted by Dankhank on February 16, 2005 at 10:46:38 PT Don't Step On The Grass ... CHP spokesman Tom Marshall said Tuesday that the agency would honor the state-issued ID cards but would continue its long-standing policy of confiscating marijuana seized from motorists until the cards were issued.No "Compassionate Conservatism" for Mr Marshall ... no sir ...I am above California Law ... Marshall ... ass ........http://www.steppenwolf.com/lyr/dntste.html [ Post Comment ] Post Comment