Marijuana protest planned in San Bernardino

Marijuana protest planned in San Bernardino

Group says county should give I.D.s
Lauren McSherry, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 08/11/2008 09:15:54 PM PDT

Protesters plan to gather today in front of the San Bernardino County Health Department building in opposition to the county's resistance to issuing medical-marijuana identification cards, according to a statement from the Marijuana Anti-Prohibition Project.
"What the court has told them twice now is that the law is constitutional," said Lanny Swerdlow, a registered nurse and the group's director. "You have to issue the I.D. card."

Protesters plan to gather at 11 a.m. at 351 N. Mountain View Ave., San Bernardino.

Then the protesters will walk over to the county government building to speak before the Board of Supervisors, Swerdlow said.

In 1996, voters passed Proposition 215, which required counties to issue medical-marijuana cards allowing chronically ill patients to grow and smoke the drug.

Most recently, county attorneys had joined with San Diego County in contesting the state law, which requires counties to distribute registration cards to patients using medical marijuana.

But a court of appeals ruled against the two counties July 31, maintaining that the law is constitutional.

County spokesman David Wert said the case takes on an important law-enforcement issue because the state's

medical-marijuana law contradicts federal law, which criminalizes the drug.

"It's not working," Wert said of the state law. "Federal authorities are still arresting medical-marijuana users."

County counsel has not decided whether to appeal the appeals court's decision to state Supreme Court, he said.
He added that the appeals court did not order the county to issue identification cards.

He also said the appeals court decision did not address the existing conflict between state and federal law.

Swerdlow criticized the county for wasting money on legal action when the county is facing cuts to health programs.

Wert said the county has kept legal costs low by using county attorneys.

Marijuana protest planned - San Bernardino County Sun

Yay protesting for fairer Marijuana laws! :)