Identification Cards May be Issued to Those with Qualifying Medical Conditions
The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors recently authorized the Public Health Department to locally implement the California Medical Marijuana Program (MMP). The MMP is voluntary and intended to provide patients with an identification card that could be used as evidence that they have a physician's recommendation to use marijuana for medicinal purposes. In El Dorado County, the identification card program will begin August 15, 2007.
The California Department of Health Services established the MMP in 2004 to facilitate the registration of qualified patients and their primary caregivers through a statewide identification system. The medical marijuana identification card can also assist law enforcement officials in determining whether individuals using marijuana meet the requirements of California's Compassionate Use Act (also known as Proposition 215). The Compassionate Use Act exempts patients, their caregivers and physicians who recommend the use of marijuana for medical purposes from state criminal laws for the possession, use, transportation, delivery or cultivation of marijuana. However, the Act does not protect marijuana plants from seizure nor individuals from Federal prosecution under the Controlled Substances Act.
To qualify for the MMP and apply for a medical marijuana identification card, an individual must be 18 years of age and older with a serious medical condition and certification from a physician indicating that medical marijuana is appropriate for their condition. Caregivers, whose patients meet the above criteria, are also eligible for the MMP. Identification cards are good for one year only. Applicants must re-apply, show proof of continued medical need, and pay the registration fee each year.
The cost of the medical marijuana identification card in El Dorado County is currently $114. Applicants with proof of current Medi-Cal/CMSP benefits will be charged $57. All fees are non-refundable, even if the application is denied. Applications for the MMP are available at the Emergency Medical Services Agency located at 415 Placerville Drive, Suite J in Placerville and may be picked up weekdays from 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. Completed applications will be accepted by appointment only.
For additional information on the MMP, please visit www.dhs.ca.gov/mmp. To schedule an appointment to return an application, or for further questions about the program or the ID cards in El Dorado County, please call (530) 621-6500. The Public Health Department plans to post additional information about the MMP, including downloadable application forms, on their website at
www.co.el-dorado.ca.us/publichealth by September 1.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
August 14, 2007
Margaret Williams
(530) 621-6243
