MEDICINAL MARIJUANA ID CARDS AVAILABLE

Bennett Getter, a 52-year-old San Mateo chauffeur who suffers from
arthritis and pancreas problems, stopped by the San Mateo County
Health Department on Tuesday, one of the first in line to apply for a
government-issued medicinal marijuana ID card.

``It's better than a doctor's note, which is paper and can get
mutilated,'' he said.

That's what state lawmakers had in mind when they passed SB 420, a law
that requires counties to issue ``Medical Marijuana Identification
Cards.'' Legal marijuana users can flash the cards to law enforcement
personnel and cannabis clubs, showing that they have a valid doctor's
note to use pot for a medical condition.

San Mateo County on Tuesday began complying with the law, which was
signed in 2003, although only a handful of Bay Area counties have
begun issuing the cards. San Mateo County officials said five or six
people had filled out the paperwork by Tuesday afternoon.

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors may approve the program at
the end of the month, said county public health spokeswoman Teresa
Chagoya. If that happens, the county could begin issuing cards by March 1.

The law doesn't mandate that individuals carry the new cards -- only
that counties make them available. Some users see that the card will
provide an official looking document if they are pulled over by
police, but they also see that the cards won't be a panacea for every
pot-related problem.

Fears response

``I'm wondering if, when a cop pulls me over and sees that I have a
card, he'll figure I'm a pothead,'' Getter said. ``And will he want to
draw his gun more?''

San Mateo County Deputy Public Health Director John Conley
acknowledged there are shortcomings to having a card -- the biggest
one being that people must make personal information available to the
county. Some medicinal marijuana advocates fear the federal government
will somehow be able to retrieve that information.

The federal government still views all marijuana as illegal, with or
without a state-issued ID.

But in most cases, it's still up to local police departments to decide
whether to arrest medicinal marijuana users. And as long as a person
has a doctor's note or valid ID and a legal amount of marijuana, the
San Mateo County District Attorney's Office won't be prosecuting, said
Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.

``I think it's a good idea that a government agency is carefully
reviewing who is signing up to get medical marijuana,'' he said. ``But
this does not work like a Monopoly Get Out of Jail card if someone has
more than the allowed amount. We want to help people who really need
this, not just the dope smokers.''

The law also clarifies how much medicinal marijuana is considered
legal under Proposition 215, which California voters passed in 1996 --
eight ounces of dried marijuana, 12 immature plants or six mature plants.

Conley said the biggest benefit of having a card is that it likely
would shorten the amount of time a police officer would take to
determine whether someone was legally using marijuana. ``This card
should make that process take only a minute or two.''

The cards also are intended to be recognized throughout the state and
make it faster for cannabis club dispensers to check out whether a
doctor's note is valid.

Despite the card program, there are no cannabis clubs in San Mateo
County; the closest ones are in San Francisco, Santa Cruz and Oakland.

The counties where those cities are located haven't yet adopted SB 420
- -- because many of those cities, including Oakland and San Francisco,
already issue their own cards. San Francisco County will begin issuing
a state card next week.

The law does not give a deadline as to when counties must begin
issuing the cards, although officials say most counties in the state
will be getting on board soon. By the end of January, 15 counties are
expected to be complying with the law.

Little impact

The card may not really have much impact in the Bay Area, said Hilary
McQuie of Americans for Safe Access. Most police agencies in the area
don't make busting medicinal marijuana users their top priority.

``But for the rest of the state,'' she said, ``this is really
important.''

For more information on getting a Medical Marijuana Identification
Card, check out http://www.dhs.ca.gov/mmp. To apply for a card in San Mateo
County, applicants must go to 225 37th Ave. Applicants must pay $45
and provide a doctor's note, proof of identity (such as a driver's
license) and proof of residency, such as a rent receipt or utility
bill.