The Compassionate Coalition

Dear medical marijuana supporter,

Next Tuesday, June 5, the El Dorado County Board of
Supervisors will be conducting a hearing on the local
implementation of California's medical marijuana ID
card program.

The Board is expected to decide whether or not to have
the Department of Health immediately move forward with
the ID program.

The program is voluntary for patients and their
caregivers, however many choose to become cardholders
because it reduces their risk of arrest by state and
local law enforcement--which conducts 99% of marijuana
arrests.

If you live in El Dorado County, please take a few
minutes to contact the Board of Supervisors to express
your support for medical marijuana patients.

Using the contact info below, e-mail or call all five
board members, politely urging them to order county
health staff to begin accepting applications for the
ID cards. Feel free to use one or more of the talking
points at the end of this message.

El Dorado County Board of Supervisors:

District 1 - Sup. Rusty Dupray - bosone@co.el-dorado.ca.us
District 2 -Sup. Helen Baumann - bostwo@co.el-dorado.ca.us
District 3 - Sup. James R (Jack) Sweeney - bosthree@co.el-dorado.ca.us
District 4 - Sup. Ron Briggs - bosfour@co.el-dorado.ca.us
District 5 - Sup. Norma Santiago - bosfive@co.el-dorado.ca.us

Board phone: (530) 621-5390

The board hearing will take place on Tuesday, June 5
at 8:00am in Placerville. Please attend this important
meeting to stand up for patients' rights in El Dorado
County.

El Dorado County Board of Supervisors
Tuesday, June 5 - 8:00am
Board of Supervisors Room
330 Fair Lane, Bldg A
Placerville, CA 95667
Map: http://tinyurl.com/25zxre

Thank you for taking action to support El Dorado
County's patients. Please fee free to contact me for
further information.

Aaron Smith
Safe Access Now

WHY WE SUPPORT CALIFORNIA'S MEDICAL MARIJUANA ID CARD
PROGRAM:

* The ID card protects patients and caregivers from
lengthy detainment, arrest, seizure of property or
unnecessary court proceedings. Participation in the ID
card program is voluntary for patients and caregivers,
however many choose to become cardholders because they
cannot afford the personal risk of wrongful
prosecution that those without the ID card face.

* The ID card program will greatly assist
law-enforcement in distinguishing patients with
legitimate medical marijuana recommendations from
those who are using false or counterfeit
documentation. The county-administered ID program
clarifies the current patchwork of patient
documentation and frees our law enforcement and
judicial system to focus on genuine criminal activity.

* The county has a legal responsibility to implement
the program, as a requirement of Senate Bill 420,
passed into law in 2003 and later upheld by a San
Diego Superior Court ruling in December 2006.

* Voters' support of safe and legal access to medical
marijuana has only grown stronger since the passage of
the Compassionate Use Act (Prop. 215) in 1996.
According to an independent field poll conducted in
2006, three out of four Californians support
implementation of the state's medical marijuana laws.

* The county will not incur any additional costs by
implementing the ID card program because the county is
allowed to set its own fees to recoup the start-up and
operating costs.

F. Aaron Smith
Safe Access Now
phone: (707) 575-9870
fax: (866) 204-1341
e-mail: fa_smith@yahoo.com