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PRESENTATION by the Public Health Department updating the Board on the State of California Medical Marijuana Identification Card Program.
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BUDGET SUMMARY:
Total Estimated CostN/A Funding Budgeted$ New Funding$ Savings$ Other$ Total Funding Available$Change To Net County CostN/A
Fiscal Impact/Change to Net County Cost: None.
Background: In 1996, California voters approved Proposition 215 (also known as the Compassionate Use Act), allowing physicians to recommend the medicinal use of marijuana by a patient, including the cultivation and transportation of marijuana for medical purposes by patients and caregivers. The 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.
Senate Bill (SB) 240 was passed in 2003, directing the California Department of Health Services (CDHS) to develop and administer a program through which counties could issue special identification cards and access an online database to track and police the use of medicinal marijuana within their jurisdictions. That project became known as the Medical Marijuana Identification Card Program (MMICP). Currently, there are over 20 counties in California that participate in the Program.
The County's responsibilities under this program will be as follows:
Identify the governmental or nongovernmental organization that is designated to carry out Program responsibilities as directed by the county; establish county fee portion of application charges; utilize MMICP protocols developed by the CDHS; provide, receive, and process applications for MMICP; take an electronically transmissible photo of the applicant (patient and/or primary caregiver) that meets criteria prescribed in the state protocols; collect application fees from applicants and transmit the State fee of $142/applicant to the CDHS; utilize the Web-based sys...
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