CHALLENGE TO STATE POT PROGRAM VOWED

San Bernardino County Board Of Supervisors

The supervisors voted in closed session Tuesday to rejoin San Diego
County in a continuing challenge to the state's medical marijuana user
program.

San Bernardino County first joined San Diego County three years ago in
challenging the program, which requires California counties to issue
medical-marijuana identification cards to patients.

The courts have so far ruled against them, upholding the medical
marijuana act passed in 2003 to help regulate the law approved by
California voters in 1996.

At Tuesday's meeting, Undersheriff Richard Beemer said deputies are
often caught between enforcing state law, which allows the use of
medical marijuana, and federal law, which outlaws it.