APPLYING FOR MEDICAL POT ID CARDS BEGINS TODAY IN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY

Wanda Smith hopes to be among the first to receive a patient
identification card when San Bernardino County begins implementing the
state's medical marijuana program today.

Two years ago a physician recommended the use of marijuana to Smith,
who lives in the High Desert town of Phelan, to treat ailments that
include diabetes and pancreatic and muscle conditions. The 59-year-old
grandmother initially was treated with morphine but it made her vomit,
she said. Marijuana helps relieve the pain and allows her to function,
she said.

"It made me nervous that I don't have a card," Smith said. "I just
don't want to go to jail."

Her wait for an ID card that will allow her to legally buy marijuana
is almost over.

After losing a three-year legal battle against the state program, the
county agreed in June to begin providing medical marijuana patient
identification cards. The U.S. Supreme Court declined in May to hear
the county's legal challenge to the state's program, which it claimed
conflicted with federal drug laws.

A county ordinance adopted by the Board of Supervisors on July 14
takes effect today.

To apply for an identification card, residents must fill out a form
available online and call the county public health department to make
an appointment to submit it, said Jim Lindley, public health director.

The county will begin taking appointments today. Lindley said
appointments were not taken in advance because the county did not want
to start until the ordinance had taken effect.

At their appointment, patients must provide photo identification,
proof of county residency and written documentation from a physician
explaining why marijuana use is recommended. The application includes
a list of illnesses for which marijuana could be prescribed, ranging
from AIDS and cancer to chronic pain and seizures.

Lindley said the department wants to ensure that patients have all the
information required under state guidelines when they come in for
their appointments, which are expected to take 15 to 20 minutes.

The county then will submit the applications, along with photos of the
applicants, to the state. State officials enter the information into a
database, manufacture the cards and return them to the county to
distribute, Lindley said.

He said he expects the process to take about 30 days.

"We're hoping it goes smoothly," Lindley said. "We want to issue the
cards in a timely manner."

Five public health employees have received state training to handle
the applications. No extra staff has been hired, Lindley said.

If the county sees an initial rush of a few thousand applicants, some
patients may have to wait a week or longer to meet with public health
department staff.

San Bernardino is one of the state's last counties to provide cards
for patients. Forty-eight other counties, including Riverside, offer
them.

Scott Bledsoe, a Crestline resident who sued the county in January
because of its refusal to provide cards, said he wasn't satisfied with
the pace but is glad a program is in place.

"They're finally going to do what they should have done years ago," he
said.

Patients still may find it necessary to travel to other counties to
find access to medical marijuana, however. Many San Bernardino County
cities have banned dispensaries or issued moratoriums, and the county
has extended its moratorium until next June.

The Board of Supervisors took that action to give planners time to
create an ordinance with zoning and licensing rules.

Julie Rynerson Rock, land use services director, has said she hopes to
bring a proposal to the planning commission before the end of the year.

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MARIJUANA CARDS

San Bernardino County today begins the process of issuing medical
marijuana cards to patients with prescriptions from their physicians.

How do I get an appointment? Call the San Bernardino County
Department of Public Health, 800-782-4264, between 9 a.m. and noon
and 1 and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday:

Where do I get an application? Visit
http://www.sbcounty.gov/pubhlth/programs_services/medical_marijuana/medical_marijuana_home.htm

What information must I provide? Photo identification, proof of county
residency and written documentation from a physician explaining why
marijuana is necessary.

How much does it cost? $166 for non-Medi-Cal patients, $83 for
Medi-Cal patients.

How long will it take? If many people call, there could be a delay in
scheduling an appointment. Appointments will take 15-20 minutes. Cards
will be delivered about a month later.

Can I legally buy marijuana in San Bernardino County? The county has
extended a moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries in
unincorporated areas until June 2010.

Source: San Bernardino County Public Health Department