COUNTY'S POT USER ID SYSTEM OK FOR NOW

The Board of Supervisors' reluctant approval of a medical marijuana
user card is probably good -- at least for the moment. Even if one
disagrees with the medical marijuana law, the issuance of a user ID
card by the county Health Department based on a definable need is
better than the 1996 grossly lax voter-passed proposition's original form.

The law allows possession for personal use of small amounts of
marijuana for such medicinal uses as suppressing nausea and pain that
is not amenable to standard treatment. It does not excuse crimes
committed under the influence or illegal acquisition, such as
smuggling and drug pushing.

The board's reluctance in approving ID cards is understandable. The
ID system is a legislative follow-up to the proposition. But there
are problems:

* The federal government does not recognize legitimate medicinal use,
and still treats marijuana possession as a crime. The conflict
between state and federal law has yet to be resolved.

* Several counties are suing the state in opposition to the ID card
requirement.

Some police departments are opposed to legal medical marijuana use
because it blurs the distinction between illicit drugs and FDA
approved prescription pharmaceutical products, possibly inhibiting
vigorous anti-drug enforcement.

The ID card was designed partly to mitigate that concern by having at
least minimal standards in place to be overseen by a public agency.

Even if the law is eventually goes up in smoke, the county has wisely
brought stability to the process for the present.