Hollister
– San Benito County’s Health and Human Services Agency has
started giving out medical marijuana identification cards, but you
won’t see hordes of county residents lighting joints anytime soon.
Although county staff anticipated there would be hundreds of
applicants, the agency has yet to give out a
single ID card.
Hollister – San Benito County’s Health and Human Services Agency has started giving out medical marijuana identification cards, but you won’t see hordes of county residents lighting joints anytime soon. Although county staff anticipated there would be hundreds of applicants, the agency has yet to give out a single ID card.
Dixie Zamzow, an HHSA secretary who handles medical marijuana IDs, said some applications are “in the middle of being processed.” Zamzow speculated that there probably isn’t much awareness of the program yet, and that applications will increase as more people learn about the IDs.
“I’m starting to get more and more phone calls, and I’m giving out applications to everyone who calls,” Zamzow said.
The county is required by state law to distribute the IDs. The Board of Supervisors gave its final approval to both the program and its fee of $40 per card on July 25 of this year; the program began at the end of the summer. The supervisors have also made it clear they will not allow marijuana co-ops and clubs – where people can obtain medical marijuana – into the county.
In discussing the IDs, Supervisor Anthony Botelho said he remains adamantly against any distribution of marijuana in San Benito County.
“I’m not thrilled this is going on,” he said. “I believe marijuana is still considered an illegal substance, and there are alternatives to the relief it brings.”
Botelho also said the program needs to pay for itself. The card’s fee – which is reduced by 50 percent for Medi-Cal patients – is supposed to cover all related costs. But the relatively few applications means the county isn’t receiving many fees to cover the costs, which include staff hours and the purchase of a digital camera.
“I still believe that the program, whether it has two participants or 100, should pay for itself,” Botelho said.
County Administrative Officer Susan Thompson said fewer applicants also means lower costs, and she anticipated that reduced fees and reduced costs “will come close to offsetting each other.”
Patients using medical marijuana are not required to have ID cards, but having a card should help prevent wrongful arrest.
In order to obtain a card, applicants must present a licensed physician’s recommendation. Although the cards can be used anywhere in the state, those obtaining IDs through San Benito’s HHS must also show proof of residence within the county.
Marijuana has been prescribed to treat a number of conditions, including AIDS, anorexia, arthritis, cancer and chronic pain. Zamzow said people interested in applying should contact her at (831) 636-4011; after they fill out their applications, they will need to make an appointment between 1:30 and 4pm on either the first or third Tuesday of each month.
Anthony Ha covers local government for the Free Lance. Reach him at (831) 637-5566 ext. 330 or [email protected].
