Cost of medical pot ID cards getting higher

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FruityBud

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SANTA CRUZ -- The cost of a medical marijuana identification card in the county is getting higher.

Five years after the county established its own identification card program for people who use medical marijuana, local health officials want to begin issuing state cards.

"Our cards legally are only binding in Santa Cruz," said Rama Khalsa, director of the county Health Services Agency. "People do travel outside of Santa Cruz and felt it was important to have the state program."

The county's card costs $35 and more than 1,600 of them have been issued since the program was launched in August 2003. Those cards were valid for three years.

State-backed cards will cost $101 and will need to be renewed annually, though Medi-Cal patients can get $33 deducted from that. Thirty-six counties in the California participate in the state's identification card program and 18,847 of those IDs have been issued, according to the state Department of Health Services.

While the portability of the state card was lauded as giving patients legal safeguard and the comfort to possess their medicine in other parts of the state, some said the cost could be a challenge for patients.

Mike Corral of the group Wo/men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana said one of their members, for example, is disabled and after all the bills are paid has about $35 to live on for a month.

"[The cost] is going to make it problematic for some to purchase the cards," Corral said.

Advocates said they were also concerned about maintaining anonymity, but Khalsa said procedures will be in place to protect confidentiality. Information for patients will be entered into a secured database at the county level before it is sent to the state and then the paperwork will be shredded, Khalsa said.

Under Proposition 215, passed in 1996, doctors can write recommendations to patients to use marijuana. A subsequent state bill, SB 420, provided for a voluntary identification card program.

The Board of Supervisors gave preliminary approval to the change Tuesday and is scheduled to revisit the matter March 18.

The fee increase would be effective in April.

hxxp://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_8543907
 
^^^^^^^

This is exactly why I grow my own.

*Note* I know from PERSONAL exp that Green Relief in S.C. has the best deals in the whole South Bay. Not an ad, just the facts.

As far as the State Card goes...It is IMO not needed. Plenty of clubs are more than happy to accept the doctors perscription. IMO the whole state card idea is just another way to group us all together and tabulate lists and watchgroups for certain individuals.

In my county the cost of the state ID card is $250.00 as of last year.

Dispenseris often short customers, offer little or no good advice, have poor customer service and charge well over "street" value for their medicine.

IF YOU HAVE A SCRIP GROW YOUR OWN!

Overthrow and undercut the greedy kingpin types who run the vast majority of clubs in the bay area.
 

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