I too am going through this sometimes confusing process, but maybe I can shed a little light for you.

First, you are not required to get a county-issued or state-issued card. All you really need is the recommendation of your doctor. Nowadays that recommendation is always written (although the law (Prop 215) actually permits a verbal recommendation). In January of this year the California Supreme Court ruled that you don't have to register with your county, nor do you have to get the recommendation from a doctor in your county. You can go to any MD or OD with a California license to practice medicine. Your doctor will need copies of your medical records, and will register his/her recommendation with the State, along with the number of the letter he/she issues to you. That way if you are stopped, show the recommendation to the LEO who can check its validity by radio in seconds, and let you go your way if it checks out okay. It's the same process they use to check to see if your driver's license is valid. The downside to having only the recommendation is that an LEO can still arrest you if he/she thinks you have too much mmj on you, and thereby force you to defend yourself in court.

Second, if you wish you may VOLUNTARILY register your recommendation with your county health dept, and get issued a card by them. This card is separate from your doctor's recommendation. The practical effect of a county-issued card is two-fold. First, if the mmj you have on you (or at your grow location) is within your county's limits, you cannot be arrested for possession or cultivation by any state or local LEO. Second, if you get a county-issued card, you are volunteering to abide by the restrictions of your county. The minimum restriction is 8 oz of dried mmj, PLUS 12 immature or 6 mature plants, but some counties allow higher limits. You can see your county's limits here.

In any case, the doctor who issues the recommendation may require that your primary care physician be notified of the recommendation, so be sure to get this question answered if you don't want your family friend/doctor to know. The mmj doc isn't being a dick about this...it's to protect him and you from mixing mmj in with potentially hazardous combinations of prescription medications.

Hope that helps...and good luck!
StoneMeadow Reviewed by StoneMeadow on . MS patient confused about obtaining a card Greetings. I've spent a month or so trying to figure this out. I have been an MS patient for three years or so and would like to get a card. My Neurologist is a family friend so would like to leave him out of getting a card. I just received a copy of my medical records and am ready to go get a card but have no idea where. The CANORML Doctor links are broken for Santa Cruz, CA. So I have some questions. - Can I get a card in another County or are the cards County-specific? - I Rating: 5