[420 Girl]

Beginning about the first of the year, San Joaquin County residents will be able to acquire medical marijuana with a doctor's recommendation.

The first step toward carrying out the state-mandated program took place Tuesday, when the Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to issue medical marijuana identification cards. A public hearing on a proposed $141 annual fee for the ID card is scheduled for Nov. 4.

County Public Health Director Bill Mitchell said that demand for medicinal marijuana cards hasn't been great in San Joaquin County, but he and Supervisor Leroy Ornellas wonder how many will want a card once the card's availability is announced.

"Since the (state) law was passed, two or three people have called, somewhat routinely, asking when we were going to implement the program," Mitchell said in an interview after the Board of Supervisors meeting.

Ornellas wonders if demand will explode from three people to 300.

Ornellas, who along with Steve Gutierrez voted against issuing the identification cards, said in a phone interview after Tuesday's meeting that he realizes the Board of Supervisors' hands are tied because it is required by the state, but he voted "no" because of several unanswered questions he had.

"Some of us wondered out loud if we could wait (to approve them)," Ornellas said "We could have waited, in my opinion."

Ornellas said his primary concern is that a "caregiver" can purchase the marijuana for the patient, but it isn't clear what constitutes a caregiver.

County Sheriff Steve Moore said that the public needs to know what people can and cannot do under the state's medicinal marijuana law. For example, someone who is legally entitled to marijuana cannot sell it or give it to someone else, Mitchell said. And it will still be illegal for anyone to drive while impaired by marijuana, Mitchell added.

The identification card will also help law enforcement officers, for example, because they will know not to arrest someone if deputies find marijuana in their car if they have the card, Mitchell said.

Ornellas said he sympathizes with people who are suffering from disease, but he fears that allowing medical marijuana will lead to abuse of the system.

The program won't start until about the first of the year, Mitchell said, because staff will need to be trained.

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