Community & Economic Development

SAN DIEGO – The City of San Diego’s Web site features an expanded page on the Medical Marijuana/Cannabis Task Force’s work to advise the City Council on the most efficient way to regulate the use of medicinal marijuana in accordance with Proposition 215. 

Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use of Marijuana Act, was passed into law by California voters in November 1996.  Many California cities and counties, including San Diego, have struggled to implement the initiative because state and federal laws still prohibit the possession, transportation, distribution and sale of marijuana.

Recent media attention on Proposition 215, the City Task Force’s efforts and federal intervention has generated significant local debate on this issue.  The City’s expanded Web page is designed to provide an overview of Proposition 215, the role of the Task Force and information on an identification card program and proposed guidelines for law enforcement.  The Medical Marijuana/Cannabis Task Force Web page can be found on the City’s Web site at www.sandiego.gov (type “Medical Marijuana” in the search field).

The proposed law enforcement guidelines for possession and cultivation of medical marijuana are the result of more than a year of collaboration among doctors, patients, healthcare industry professionals, public interest legal advocates, and representatives from nonprofit organizations to develop a program that bridges the gap between the mandate implied by the passage of Prop 215 and federal law.  Addressed in the guidelines are the definitions of an eligible patient and caregiver, permissible amounts, a model caregiver code of conduct, as well as information about the verification card system and compliance with current laws.