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. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom