State Imposes 1000% Fee Hike on Medical Mariuana ID Cards

by Beyond Chron (reposted)

Wed, Jan 10, 2007 6:34AM

The California Dept of Health Services has announced a major fee hike for the state medical marijuana ID cards, from $13 to $142. This is the state's share; counties charge an additional fee. On behalf of thousands of San Francisco cannabis patients I am writing to ask if you have heard about this new outrageous policy. Patients need your help NOW more than ever. With the new local laws requiring patients to get the State I.D. card to enter MCD's and now this drastic increase in the card program by almost $150, patients will need to pay $200 for an ID card every year. This has gone far beyond preposterous. Where are patient's rights? How can patients afford to keep fighting bad policy?

According to- D. Gieringer of Cal NORML, the California Dept of Health Services has announced a major fee hike for the state medical marijuana ID cards, from $13 to $142. This is the state's share; counties charge an additional fee.

The increase is allegedly needed to cover the cost of the program, which has been running at a major deficit.

Applications for the state card have been running far behind expectations. So far only 5,631 cards have been issued. Estimates of the actual number of Prop 215 patients run from 150,000 to 350,000.

More
http://www.beyondchron.org/news/index.php?itemid=4075#more

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§Protection racket?

by Rick Steeb

Thu, Jan 11, 2007 9:04AM

Sign 'em up cheap, then raise the price. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protection_racket

Given that the State spends millions enforcing the atrocious prohibition of Cannabis, it is deplorable that they are attempting to recoup from the ill themselves the relatively trivial expense of documenting medical exemptions. Want to benefit the taxpayers? LEGALIZE IT.

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§MedMJ ID Card Program Struggling

by CA NORML via list

Mon, Jan 15, 2007 10:35PM

" The CA medical marijuana ID program is off to a slow start. The
Dept of Health Services reports that there are presently only 8703
patients registered statewide, or about 0.2 per 1,000 population.
Estimates of the actual patient population range from 150,000 to
350,000, or about 4 to 10 per 1,000.
The dearth of registrees has forced the state to hike its
charge for the card from $13 to $140 in order to cover expenses. Cal
NORML is concerned that the rate increase will strongly discourage
new enrollment. The prospective applicant pool will double shortly,
when LA county comes on line. We hope the fee increase can be
delayed so as to encourage an influx of new applicants to pay for the
program.
So far, only 24 of the state's 58 counties have implemented ID
programs. Those with the most cards issued are San Francisco (3241
cards, or 4.6 per 1000 residents), Marin (1121, also 4.6 per 1000
residents), and Mendocino (742, or 8.4 per 1000). Those with the
least are Sierra County (0 registrees), Imperial (3), San Benito
(4), and SLO (9). Other counties include Alameda (658, or 0.5 per
1000), Contra Costa (70, or .01 per 1000), Del Norte (100 or 3.6),
Humboldt (259 or 2.0), Kern (85 or 0.1), Riverside (443 or 0.2 per
1000), Santa Barbara (321 or 0.8), Santa Clara (355, or 0.2),. San
Mateo (520, or 0.7), and Sonoma (369 or 0.8).

- D. Gieringer, Cal NORML"

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