San Bernardino is finally in the loop.  I am so Glad......

San Bernardino County could begin providing identification cards to medical marijuana patients by August, but dispensaries will have to wait for guidelines before they can set up shop.

The Board of Supervisors approved a plan Tuesday to screen applicants and issue cards to patients. The program takes effect 30 days after the formal adoption of the ordinance, set for July 14.

The board also approved a 45-day moratorium on the establishment of dispensaries -- retail outlets that sell medical marijuana -- to give county officials time to establish zoning and licensing rules.

The decision comes a little over a month after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear San Bernardino County's legal challenge of the state's medical marijuana program, which has been upheld by lower court rulings. For more than three years, San Bernardino and San Diego counties challenged the law on the grounds that it conflicts with federal drug laws.

With the legal battle lost, San Bernardino will be one of the state's last counties to provide cards for patients. Forty-eight other counties, including Riverside, offer them.

Once the program begins, patients and their caregivers will be able to contact the county's public health department for appointments. Patients who have been prescribed marijuana by their physicians will be entered into a state database and screened before receiving the card, which identifies the patient as a legitimate user of medical marijuana, said Jim Lindley, county public health director.

The county plans to charge an annual fee of $166 to non-Medi-Cal patients and $83 for Medi-Cal patients to cover the costs of running the program. About 250 to 300 patients are expected to apply for cards, a staff report to the board said.

With the card program approved, medical marijuana advocates and county officials have turned their attention toward the dispensary permits.

During the moratorium, county officials will study zoning and permit rules in use in other jurisdictions, said Julie Rynerson Rock, land use services director.

By about Aug. 4, they will return to the board with a status report, she said. An ordinance enacting the rules would then go before the Planning Commission for approval.

Rynerson Rock said she could not provide a timeline for how long the process will take and said she expects the moratorium will last longer than 45 days. But she said they intend to introduce rules "as quickly as we can.

"We have no intention of dragging it out forever," she said.

Although any county resident can apply for the card program, the dispensary ordinance would only apply to unincorporated areas. Cities are responsible for establishing their own regulations.

County officials said they do not know of any city in the county that has a dispensary.

Medical marijuana advocates questioned the need for the moratorium and said they should be allowed to help set up rules for dispensaries.

"I urge you to have input from the patients in this process," said Scott Bledsoe, a Crestline resident who sued the county over its refusal to issue identification cards.

County spokeswoman Lynn Fischer said the state program allows an alternative to dispensaries. Patients who have been issued cards are allowed to grow a small amount of marijuana for their own personal use, she said.

Several Inland cities have banned or enacted moratoriums against dispensaries, including Beaumont, Perris, Moreno Valley, Colton, Yucaipa, Highland and Hemet.

In Riverside County, only Palm Springs has zoning to allow medical marijuana collectives and co-ops.

Last summer, state Attorney General Jerry Brown released guidelines allowing marijuana collectives and co-ops to exist so long as they don't operate for profit. The groups must not purchase marijuana from illegal sources and must have detailed records proving users are legitimate patients.

Information on What the actual law here in California says:

SHOUSE Law Group  http://www.shouselaw.com/medical-marijuana.html

In 1996, the voters of California passed Proposition 215, also known as the Compassionate Use Act.  Within California, the Act allows for the recommendation by a physician for the medical use of marijuana by a patient, and the cultivation, transportation and use of marijuana for medical purposes by patients and caregivers.  The Compassionate Use Act exempts patients, caregivers and physicians who recommend the use of marijuana for medical purposes from criminal laws, punishment, or the denial of any rights or privileges.  To address uncertainties and clarify the scope of the Act for patients, caregivers, law enforcement and others, Senate Bill (SB) 420 (Chapter 875, Statutes of 2003) was written into law in December of 2003 (see California Health and Safety Code, Article 2.5, Sections 11362.7 through 11362.83). 

The MMP, within the CDHS, was established in 2004 to facilitate the registration of qualified patients and their caregivers, through a statewide identification system.  Participation in the program is voluntary for patients and the patient’s primary caregiver.  Through their county of residence, qualified patients and their caregivers may apply for and be issued an identification card.  This card will be used to verify those patients and caregivers that have authorization to possess, grow, transport and/or use medical marijuana in California.  To facilitate the verification of authorized cardholders, a registration database is available on the Internet: www.calmmp.ca.gov.

The costs of the Program are fee supported.  Both the state and counties have authority to cover their expenses through application fees.

The Feds still say this is unlawful.  By saying this.  They pretty much tell us even if we vote our votes don't matter.  I think they need to stay out of the states business when we have elections and vote on things like medical marijuana.

 

Yesterday December 10th 2008, I had the extreme pleasure of attending a taping of the Bonnie Hunt Show.  I dressed up in my Sunday best and put on my Santa hat.  I made an afghan for Bonnie, and waited till the end of the show when she comes out into the audience to shake hands to give it to her.  I got her attention and said " Bonnie, I made this for you over the weekend."  The gratitude that I saw in her face pales in comparison to the gratitude that I have for her. 

I was diagnosed with AIDS in 1987 the year after I graduated from High School.  I have come close to death many times and by the grace of God I have made it to 22 years now and counting.  The latest account of near death was 2005 when I was put in the hospital and was dying.  Two days after I was in my partner was brought in in a Diabetic coma, and pneumonia. I had my parents come from Utah so that I could finalize everything.  We barely made it past that one.   Then in 2006 me and my partner of 18 years had to move a total of 6 times because eventually the people that lived around us could not handle our health situation.  Then December 5 2007 My partner Anthony had a Heart Attack, and by the 10th of December he was in surgery with a triple bypass surgery.  The day that we attended the show was Anthony's 1 year anniversary of his open heart surgery.

The reason why Bonnie's gratitude pales in comparison is that we have never got a break, and to see the look on her face as I gave her the afghan made me a squishy inside because finally something good has happened to the two of us.

I crochet afghans, and give them to the homeless, and just recently I started to send homemade items to the orphanage in Taiwan where my sister adopted two of the most beautiful kids.  I really don't sell them because that look on the persons face was all that I need.  She brought me out of a depression, that I had been sitting in for a while because I am not able to work a real job.  I crochet and knit to keep my mind from wandering.  It is great therapy.  I am working towards getting me a knitting machine so that I can whip even more blankets out for those that need them.

Needless to say,  I am going to go to her show again.  I recommend it to everyone. ......

On May 24th Anthony and I went up to Big Bear to attend the Riverside Telescope Makers Conference.  We walked around for a while and I found a few things to buy.  We got a sharks tooth from the cretaceous period, and I got another stick to design to use as my cane.  About 4:45 we started to get hungry, and went to get in line for a hamburger.  I didn't think nothing of it but I turned to Tony and told him that I thought I knew the person in front of us.  Then I moved a little to her left so that I could see her profile.  Then I turned to Tony and told him that she was the lady from Medium on TV.  Patricia Arquette plays the role of a psychic that helps the DA solve crimes.  Someone in our group finally got enough nerve up to ask her and she said yes.  So she was gracious enough to let us take pictures and get her autograph after she was done eating.  We all got autographs, and then we decided that we would go to the patio and have a smoke.  So as I sat down, and called my mom she walked around the corner and sat down next to us, and had a smoke herself.  Through out the evening she would end up at the smoking section and we were able to ask her questions, and she asked about our club.  Just before we left I at the last moment decide to give her one of the afghans that I had taken up with me.  Over all she is just like her character on TV.  Nice and sweet, very friendly to anyone.

Me and Patricia Arquette