Hey man, Im from santa cruz too, born and raised. yeah, i went to the one near costco called "greenway" and i asked them what it took to get one, they said "just a doctors recommendation" then they gave me a card that had a list of doctors to call that would give you an easy recommendation. that easy. ive heard that you have to pay $100 too. but what the hell, if you have an unreliable dealer and are in need of weed alot, its well worth it.