Sac ACLU Press Release on Sac County Medical Marijuana ID Program

SACRAMENTO COUNTY
CHAPTER OF THE ACLU

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, December 12, 2008
Contact: James Updegraff, Sacramento ACLU 916/421-5951
ACLU, Sacramento press office 916/996-9170

ACLU in Sacramento notes "concerns" over Sacramento
County's failure to comply with state law regarding
medical marijuana, warns of costly litigation

SACRAMENTO – The Sacramento Chapter of the ACLU said it has formally
written the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors about its reluctance to
implement a medical marijuana ID program required by state law and recent
court decisions, and suggested further non-compliance could lead to costly
lawsuits that would spend scarce tax dollars.

A hearing is set for 2:45 p.m. Tuesday before the BOS to reconsider its
position.

"(We) have concerns that Sacramento County is not in compliance with state
Health & Safety Code provisions authorizing a Medical Marijuana Program
(MMP)," said the ACLU in a letter to members of the BOS this week.
Sacramento County has resisted attempts to provide the cards – although at
least 40 of California counties have done so – and in March again rejected
starting a MMP.

In the letter (available upon request), the ACLU of Sacramento pointed to
recent court decisions, including one where San Diego County lost two
appeals aimed at overturning the law that created medical marijuana ID
cards, as reasons for Sacramento to comply.

"The failure of the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors to enable the
county health officer to comply with state law could lead to needless
litigation that would misappropriate scarce county staff resources.

"(T)oo many medical marijuana patients and their care providers are on the
front lines of too many battles in this mass conflict without apparent
end," said the ACLU it its missive, noting the ACLU has been a
"longstanding dissenting voice in the government's ongoing drug war, which
has squandered tens of billions of taxpayer dollars."

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