Pubdate: Sun, 24 Mar 2013
Source: Denver Post (CO)
Copyright: 2013 The Denver Post Corp
Contact:  http://www.denverpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/122
Author: Eric Gorski
Page: 23A

PATIENT VERIFICATION SYSTEM STILL IN WORKS

If a state trooper pulls someone over, smells pot in the car and is 
handed a medical marijuana registry card, the only way to confirm the 
card's validity is by using a fax machine during business hours.

One portion of 2010 legislation that tightened regulation of medical 
marijuana in Colorado was designed to fix that.

Nearly three years later, the Colorado Department of Public Health 
and Environment is still working on developing a system that will 
allow law enforcement to electronically verify a patient's status 24/7.

The department has been working with the Colorado Bureau of 
Investigation to develop an electronic interface that is set to be 
tested this month and could be ready as soon as May, agency officials said.

Ron Hyman, who oversees the 108,000-patient registry for the health 
department, said the hopewas to get the system-paid for by $86,000 in 
patient registry funds-in place sooner. But he said officials want 
adequate safeguards to prevent "fishing" - law enforcement using it 
when they just suspect something amiss.

The interface will not grant law enforcement access to the database, 
and will let them verify only whether someone is a patient, Hyman said.

"We are aware that particularly in our patient community, there is 
concern about, 'Is my information still being adequately protected?'" 
he said. "I would rather err on the side of taking a little more time 
and having the system that does provide appropriate protections than 
to rush through and go, 'Oops.' "

The 2000 constitutional amendment that legalized medical marijuana 
allows law enforcement to run verification checks, but only when 
given a patient card during a traffic stop or investigation.

Then, law enforcement must fax a verification request so the health 
department can confirm their identity, the health department says. 
The response is faxed back.

Thornton Police Sgt. Jim Gerhardt, of the Colorado Drug Investigators 
Association, said 24-7 verification would reduce some potential for 
fraud "and at least give you some information."

But in the scheme of things, fake cards are not a major source of 
abuse, he said. Gerhardt said the failure to get the interface 
working by now speaks to a broader problem - a "rush to regulate" 
that left state officials ill-prepared to meet their obligations.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom