I agree that any discussion of where one is with respect to the law should not be conducted on an open forum...and not just about mmj...but in this case, I really am just trying to understand the ruling.

For instance, here's what I think it says:

[Bear in mind that I am not a lawyer. My opinion and 2 bucks will get you a cuppa coffee.]

1. If you have a current valid recommendation, but NOT a county-issued card, you have all of the protections of 215, but the cops can still arrest and try you if they think they can get a conviction. It's just that the recommendation is an "affirmative defense" against the charge. The recommendation itself is a powerful defense, but it is not a get-out-of-jail card.

That's where life gets complicated. First the easy part...the Supremes threw out the 8oz/12 plants limit for persons with a recommendation but not a county-issued card as an unconstitutional amendment of Prop 215. The harder part is that they didn't define what a "reasonable amount" is for those who don't have a card. They did totally squash the idea that 12 oz (what the defendant had cured) was unreasonable, since it represented only about 6 weeks of his current consumption. Both the Appeals Court and the Supreme court agreed on this, and tellingly...so did the Prosecution after the Appeals court threw out the conviction.

By that line of reasoning I suppose it's only a matter of time until someone argues, "Your Honor, I grew, cured and stored a year's supply at one shot. Oh, and I smoke an ounce a day, and there are 365 days in a year, so I should be able to have 23 pounds of cured bud." A doctor's recommendation will mount a sizable hurdle of proof for the cops to surmount, but you're not bullet proof.

Okay, the example above elicits visions of Cheech & Chong, but upon reflection it doesn't seem so far fetched. After all, my doctor gives me prescriptions for heart meds a year in advance, so why snort in laughter at the idea of a year's supply of mmj?

2. If you have both the recommendation and the card, the cops cannot arrest or charge you if you have less than the 8 oz cured bud and/or 12 plant limits called for under the MMP (the "card"). Bears repeating...you can't be arrested or charged period if you have the card and are within those limits (or higher if your county permits it).

The bottom line is that if you sign up for the MMP then you are agreeing to abide by the 8 oz/12 plant limit, unless your county permits a larger amount. Moreover, if you have the card you are not subject to arrest and charge if you are within your county's limits. OTOH, if you get a doctor's recommendation, but don't get a card, then those limits don't apply, but the burden of proof is on you to prove that your mmj is reasonable to your medical needs, should you be arrested and charged.

Again, IANAL. If you think you might be pushing the envelope, consult an attorney.