LA County to Issue Medical Marijuana ID Cards

[Jim Finnel]

Los Angeles County will begin issuing identification cards next month to patients with prescriptions for medical marijuana, health officials said today.

Beginning June 1, patients who have been prescribed medical marijuana by their physicians can apply for an identification card through the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. The application will then be processed by state officials.

Cards will not be issued until July, according to public health officials.

To apply, patients must pay a $153 fee. Medi-Cal recipients will be charged $76.50.

The cards will allow patients to received medical marijuana from designated dispensaries.

California voters approved Proposition 215 in 1996, making it legal for certain patients to use marijuana for the treatment of their illnesses. The state law includes patients with AIDS, anorexia, arthritis, cancer, glaucoma, seizures and persistent muscle spasms.



News Hawk- User 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: MyFox Los Angeles
Contact: FOX 11 | Los Angeles News | foxla.com | KTTV
Copyright: 2007 Fox Television Stations, Inc
Website: MyFox Los Angeles | LA County to Issue Medical Marijuana ID Cards

 

[CynCritter]

I wonder if existing medical rec users such as myself will have to pay another $153 to the county to use co-ops?

The prescription letters will still be accepted until their expiration dates.

IF you apply for the ID card, you would be wise to take a RELEASE OF MEDICAL INFORMATION Form WITH you to the Los Angeles County Public Health Services when you apply in person. (Call first for an appointment; otherwise, your trip there won't be fruitful.) I doubt that the County will provide you with that document. And PLEASE make certain YOUR DOCTOR already knows you will be applying for an ID Card, and that he will be receiving a signed RELEASE Form in your behalf from the County; otherwise, snafus can arise.

Also, you should UPDATE your Prescription Letter to coincide with the ID CARD when you finally get it -- approximately 35 days AFTER your IN PERSON appointment.* (They can mail the ID CARD to you, or you may pick it up in person -- but be sure you let them know which you want to do.)

*ID CARDS will NOT be honored by most despensaries, after your Letter of Prescription expires. So ... to be on the safe side ... as soon as you have your card in-hand, make an appointment with your Prescribing Doctor to get your Prescription Letter updated to coincide with your County ID CARD.

Dispensaries will NOT require the ID CARDS -- as long as you have a valid Letter of Prescription, that is all you need.

BUT. The more of us who CAN afford to apply for the LA County ID Card, the better; it will lend our names and ailments to the MMJ Americans For Safe Access movement, the members of which are working so hard to get all Law Enforcement in the State of California to REFUSE TO work alongside the DEA when raids are conducted on our dispensaries, and to get our Federal Representatives to work towards STOPPING the DEA raids in States where the citizens have voted for lawful use of MMJ.