Pubdate: Fri, 25 Feb 2005 Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA) Section: Page B - 4 Copyright: 2005 Hearst Communications Inc. Contact: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/388 Author: Rachel Gordon Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal) LOTS OF LOCAL INTEREST IN MARIJUANA ID CARDS San Francisco -- As California officials are readying to start a pilot program to issue state identification cards to patients who use medical marijuana and to their caregivers, they had better brace for a lot of interest -- if San Francisco is any indication. San Francisco's Department of Public Health started a model medical cannabis identification card program in 2000 and since then, 15,211 cards have been issued and 8,200 are valid, city officials reported this week. The cards are intended to help law enforcement differentiate between medicinal and recreational users of marijuana. State law allows patients and their caregivers to cultivate pot for personal medical treatment with a doctor's OK. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth