PEOPLE CAN GET CARD SHOWING THAT THEY MAY USE MARIJUANA

San Francisco, Calif. - A new law took effect Friday that allows residents
with a doctor's note and $25 to obtain a health identification card that
shows they are legitimate marijuana smokers.

City officials and those who advocate marijuana for medicinal uses say
people who need the substance also need to be free of police scrutiny.

"This is such a positive step to be recognized by a city government," said
Jane Weirick, director of the San Francisco Patients Resource Center, who
uses marijuana to help her deal with a degenerative disc disorder.

"We should do anything we can that makes it easier for patients to be
recognized as legitimate. This is a way we can say, 'Hey, this is real.
This is valid,' And it's time for law enforcement to start seeing that this
is valid."

The governing San Francisco Board of Supervisors, led by chief sponsor Mark
Leno, approved the ID card program in January, extending it to patients who
have a doctor's OK.

The voluntary program is another step in instituting Proposition 215,
approved by California voters in 1996. The law allows people suffering from
such illnesses as AIDS, cancer and glaucoma to possess marijuana legally.

In addition to California, measures approving the medical use of marijuana
have passed in Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon and
Washington state.

Some other California jurisdictions have similar programs in place, among
them Oakland, Arcata and Mendocino County.

Advocates have lauded San Francisco's identity program for its
confidentiality. The cards will show the person's photo, but not his or her
name or address.

The San Francisco Department of Public Health is not keeping a list of
names or filing application documents, but rather will keep only a serial
number and a corresponding expiration date.

"This is very secure for the patients," Weirick said.

"This represents another stone in the foundation we're building to make
people recognize that cannabis is a legitimate medicinal agent," said
District Attorney Terence Hallinan. "I'm not really worried we won't be
able to work things out with the federal government."