T
The420Guy
Guest
SAN DIEGO - On February 4, 2003 the City Council voted to enact marijuana
growing and possession guidelines that supported earlier action by the
Council to establish a Medical Cannabis Voluntary Verification Card Program.
By a six-member majority, the Council's vote validated hundreds of hours of
hard work by the all-volunteer Medical Marijuana Task Force that developed
the guidelines allowing individuals with a doctor's recommendation to use
medicinal marijuana.
Implementing the program, however, has become a challenge. Alliance
Healthcare Foundation withdrew its early offer of start-up funds. Without
seed money, estimated at approximately $25,000, the City will not be able to
launch this program.
According to Task Force Chair Jerry Meier, the voluntary verification card
program that would protect medicinal marijuana patients has stalled and will
not get off the ground unless seed funds are raised to begin the program. He
stated, "In February the City Council approved guidelines that would allow
allows patients to grow and possess medical marijuana. The lynchpin of this
program is a verification card that will help patients avoid arrest.
Unfortunately, Alliance Healthcare, like many foundations, is struggling and
as it turns out they were not able to provide the start-up funds like we had
originally thought."
The City Council's approval of the growing/possession guidelines and
verification card system is somewhat of a test case, especially for Southern
California where no municipality has challenged the federal government which
still takes the position that possession of marijuana for any reason is
illegal.
Meier stated, "All this hard work will be for naught if the verification
card program is not funded with private donations. But luckily the San Diego
Human Dignity Foundation has once again proven their value to the community
and has agreed to set up an account where contributions for the verification
card program can be directed."
The Task Force is exploring a number of avenues such as grant requests to
other foundations to secure the seed funding that will ultimately determine
if the verification card program is implemented. But at this point the Task
Force has met with little success. It is now calling on the community to
help get this program off the ground to provide a "safe harbor" for sick and
dying patients who are seeking protection under Proposition 215 that was
passed by California voters in 1996.
Support from the community will establish the verification card program so
that patients' rights and privacy are protected. Donations should be sent to
San Diego Human Dignity Foundation
Medical Cannabis Voluntary Verification Card Fund
2445 Fifth Avenue, Suite 300-A
San Diego, CA 92101
Pubdate: Fri, 2 May 2003
Source: San Diego Gay News (CA)
Copyright: 2003 San Diego Gay News
Contact: Editor@sandiegogaynews.com
Website: https://www.sandiegogaynews.com/
growing and possession guidelines that supported earlier action by the
Council to establish a Medical Cannabis Voluntary Verification Card Program.
By a six-member majority, the Council's vote validated hundreds of hours of
hard work by the all-volunteer Medical Marijuana Task Force that developed
the guidelines allowing individuals with a doctor's recommendation to use
medicinal marijuana.
Implementing the program, however, has become a challenge. Alliance
Healthcare Foundation withdrew its early offer of start-up funds. Without
seed money, estimated at approximately $25,000, the City will not be able to
launch this program.
According to Task Force Chair Jerry Meier, the voluntary verification card
program that would protect medicinal marijuana patients has stalled and will
not get off the ground unless seed funds are raised to begin the program. He
stated, "In February the City Council approved guidelines that would allow
allows patients to grow and possess medical marijuana. The lynchpin of this
program is a verification card that will help patients avoid arrest.
Unfortunately, Alliance Healthcare, like many foundations, is struggling and
as it turns out they were not able to provide the start-up funds like we had
originally thought."
The City Council's approval of the growing/possession guidelines and
verification card system is somewhat of a test case, especially for Southern
California where no municipality has challenged the federal government which
still takes the position that possession of marijuana for any reason is
illegal.
Meier stated, "All this hard work will be for naught if the verification
card program is not funded with private donations. But luckily the San Diego
Human Dignity Foundation has once again proven their value to the community
and has agreed to set up an account where contributions for the verification
card program can be directed."
The Task Force is exploring a number of avenues such as grant requests to
other foundations to secure the seed funding that will ultimately determine
if the verification card program is implemented. But at this point the Task
Force has met with little success. It is now calling on the community to
help get this program off the ground to provide a "safe harbor" for sick and
dying patients who are seeking protection under Proposition 215 that was
passed by California voters in 1996.
Support from the community will establish the verification card program so
that patients' rights and privacy are protected. Donations should be sent to
San Diego Human Dignity Foundation
Medical Cannabis Voluntary Verification Card Fund
2445 Fifth Avenue, Suite 300-A
San Diego, CA 92101
Pubdate: Fri, 2 May 2003
Source: San Diego Gay News (CA)
Copyright: 2003 San Diego Gay News
Contact: Editor@sandiegogaynews.com
Website: https://www.sandiegogaynews.com/