MARIN PASSES MEDICALPOT LAW

Chronicle Staff Report

The Marin County Board of Supervisors has approved the distribution of
certificates allowing marijuana smokers to light up for medical reasons.
The new law, approved Tuesday, allows the county to give out certificates
to people who have verified illnesses that a licensed clinician deems
appropriate to treat with marijuana. Supervisors John Kress and Steve
Kinsey introduced the ordinance to clear up legal ambiguities caused by the
passage of Proposition 215, which allows the use of marijuana for medical
purposes.

The federal government, however, still considers marijuana illegal. Marin
health director Thomas Peters said the certificates, which will cost $25
and be valid for one year, will be issued only after verifying that the
patient is a county resident with a legitimate illness.

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