The San Francisco Department of Public Health will begin issuing State Medical Marijuana ID cards on January 9, 2006, and will return all records and medical documentation to patients once their applications are verified.

The ID card program is intended to protect patients in California from being arrested or having their medicine confiscated by local or state police, but medical marijuana advocates initially had concerns about the program's privacy implications for patients, caregivers and physicians. The original state guidelines mandated that local health departments retain patient records, which would have imposed an unacceptable risk of subpoena or seizure by federal officials.

In November, San Francisco Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi introduced a resolution, which passed unanimously, urging the city to delay its implementation of the program in response to vocal concerns about confidentiality from medical marijuana activists. The State responded to the actions of city officials and advocates with a change in the regulations that will benefit medical marijuana patients throughout the state: Health departments will no longer be required to keep identifying information after they have processed an application.

The action of San Francisco Supervisors to defend the rights of patients serves as a sharp contrast to officials in San Diego County who are suing to block implementation of the State ID card program with the goal of undermining the state's medical marijuana law.

For more information about the San Francisco Program and a link to ID application forms please see the San Francisco Department of Public Health website.