Calif. Suspends Medical Pot Card Program

[Judi Lynn]

Calif. Suspends Medical Pot Card Program

Calif. Health Officials Suspend ID Program for Patients Who Use Pot for Medicinal Reasons

By LISA LEFF Associated Press Writer

SAN FRANCISCO Jul 9, 2005 — California health officials suspended a program that had begun providing patients who smoke marijuana for medicinal reasons with state-issued identification cards because of concern about a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

State Health Director Sandra Shewry on Friday asked the state attorney general's office to review the court ruling to determine whether the ID program would put patients and state employees at risk of federal prosecution.

"I am concerned about unintended potential consequences of issuing medical marijuana ID cards that could affect medical marijuana users, their families and staff of the California Department of Health Services," Shewry said.

A spokeswoman for Attorney General Bill Lockyer said his office would review the health department's request, but noted that Lockyer already has stated that nothing in the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Gonzales v. Raich compels how California deals with the issue.
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http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=923109&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312