S.F. TRYING TO DEVISE WAY TO DISPENSE MEDICINAL POT

San Francisco officials admitted yesterday that they face an uphill struggle
in trying to find a way to distribute medical marijuana to thousands of
patients within the city.

``It won't be an easy task. But it's necessary,'' District Attorney Terence
Hallinan said after a meeting in Mayor Willie Brown's office.

Hallinan and Brown said that everyone at the meeting -- a cast that also
included City Attorney Louise Renne, Sheriff Michael Hennessey, Public
Health Director Dr. Mitch Katz and Supervisors Tom Ammiano and Mark Leno --
agreed that a way must be found to get marijuana to those who need it.

A series of federal and state court decisions finally led this week to the
closure of the Cannabis Healing Center on Market Street. That club was by
far the largest operation in the state that was trying to distribute
marijuana under voter-approved Proposition 215.

Leno estimated that 10,000 people have been left without pot because of the
shutdown.

``The agreement was that the city attorney and the district attorney will
try to craft an appropriate ordinance to allow for the greatest security in
any court test,'' Brown said.

Neither Brown nor Hallinan would speculate about what form the eventual plan
might take. But both said they want to move quickly to make medicinal
marijuana more widely available. And they said there was some wiggle room in
U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer's ruling against pot clubs to offer
hope that a solution could be found.

Although medical marijuana is legal in the state, it is still against
federal law to possess, use or distribute it. Neither Brown nor Hallinan
would say how the city would get marijuana to give out.

``We'll have to figure out a way,'' said Hallinan. He said it might be
possible the city could grow its own marijuana, but only if no other sources
were available.

The officials also said that whatever plan the city puts in place will
include strict controls over who gets marijuana. The shuttered club was
assailed for not policing distribution adequately.

Ammiano said urgent action is needed. ``We'd be remiss if we didn't do
something,'' he said.

On Tuesday, he introduced a measure at the Board of Supervisors calling for
the Department of Public Health to begin distributing marijuana. Ammiano
said that idea is still among those under consideration, along with at least
two others.

One is based on the experience of Arcata in Humboldt County. That college
town has a contract with a private firm to give out marijuana.

West Hollywood does it through an independent nonprofit organization with no
ties to the city.

San Francisco already operates its needle-exchange programs largely through
nonprofit organizations.

Ammiano said another model, one being set up in San Mateo County, is too
time-consuming. That county is applying to the federal Food and Drug
Administration for permission to conduct a three-year study of the medicinal
efficacy of marijuana on seriously ill people.

It could be months before San Mateo gets permission to begin the program.
San Francisco wants to move much more quickly.

Ammiano and Leno are expected to introduce a resolution at Monday's
supervisors meeting instructing Hallinan and Renne to come up with a plan
speedily.

1998 San Francisco Chronicle Page A19

Checked-by: Melodi Cornett