http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/08/30/BAGDTEFA3M1.DTLTo the delight of medical marijuana supporters, the California Highway Patrol has agreed to stop taking cannabis from motorists in routine traffic stops who have a doctor's recommendation.
The latest move in the legal battle over medical marijuana in the state came in response to a lawsuit by an advocacy group and statements by Attorney General Bill Lockyer affirming that medical marijuana use is sanctioned by California law despite a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
"This is a huge victory for the medical marijuana movement,'' Kris Hermes, the legal campaign director of Americans for Safe Access, said at a news conference Monday. The Oakland group sued the CHP in February over its policy requiring officers to seize marijuana regardless of whether motorists presented a physician's note or an identification card from a local health agency.