9/15/08

Victory for California Patients

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Fresno County’s Board of Supervisors yesterday voted to become the 41st county to implement the medical marijuana I.D. card system required by a 2003 state law, making it easier for police to verify valid medical marijuana patients.

The board was waiting for the results of San Diego and San Bernardino counties’ second legal challenge to the program, which the 4th District Court of Appeals tossed in a unanimous decision last month. In contrast to the Fresno boards’ sensible acknowledgement of the law and their duty to obey it, San Diego’s and San Bernardino’s boards are stubbornlymaking one last futile appeal to the state Supreme Court.

So, with Fresno acknowledging reality and San Diego and San Bernardino clinging to fantasy, that leaves 15 more counties that – five years later – have yet to act. Seems like a simple call: implement a program required by law and supported by the state attorney general and the California Police Chiefs Association or break the law, make law enforcement’s job more difficult, and expose legal medical marijuana patients to false arrest at taxpayer expense.

Every decision should be this easy

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