California suspends medical pot card program

[Kadie]

California suspends medical pot card program
Friday, July 8, 2005

BY LISA LEFF
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

Citing uncertainty prompted by a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling, California health officials suspended a program on Friday that had begun providing patients who smoke marijuana for medicinal reasons with state-issued identification cards.

State Health Director Sandra Shewry has asked the state Attorney General's office to review the court ruling to determine whether the ID program would put patients and state employees at risk of federal prosecution.

"I am concerned about unintended potential consequences of issuing medical marijuana ID cards that could affect medical marijuana users, their families and staff of the California Department of Health Services," Shewry said.

A spokeswoman for Attorney General Bill Lockyer did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

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