[420 Girl]

SAN JOSE - Santa Clara County supervisors today agreed to lower the cost of obtaining a medical marijuana identification card during a 14-month period. The cost for a medical marijuana identification card will be reduced to $150 from $294 starting this month until April 2009. At the end of the pilot program term, the public health department will conduct a participation level review to determine if the lowered fee resulted in increased participation. The county is mandated to provide this service, but carrying the card is voluntary.

Since the fees were implemented in March 2006 the state portion of the fee increased to $66 from $13 in April 2007. The county portion increased it to $228 from $113 in July 2007, according to the county. Six months after the last fee increase an evaluation revealed that there was a significant decrease in client participation to 12 clients per month from 34. Overall participation dropped with each increase to 88 from 570, the peak at the program inception, according to the county.

MediCal patients and caregivers are given a 50-percent reduced fee. The county anticipates higher participation levels at the reduced cost will actually result in more revenue. The public health department receives an average of 60 to 80 calls from people interested in purchasing an ID card but decline once they learn of the fee, according to the county.

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