
Grower Guidelines for Residents of Eldorado County,
California
Press
Release April 10, 2003
Compassionate Use Act (CUA) of 1996
On November 5, 1996, the voters of California through the
initiative process, passed the Compassionate Use Act (CUA) of
1996. This act declared that the intent of the people of the
State of California was:
To ensure that seriously ill Californians have the right to
obtain and use marijuana for medical purposes where that medical
use is deemed appropriate and has been recommended by a
physician who has determined that the person's health would
benefit from the use of marijuana in the treatment of cancer,
anorexia, AIDS, chronic pain, spasticity, glaucoma, arthritis,
migraine, or any other illness for which marijuana provides
relief.
To ensure that patients and their primary care givers who
obtain and use marijuana for medical purposes upon the
recommendation of a physician are not subject to criminal
prosecution or sanction.
While the CUA clearly established the intent of the voters,
it did not provide any guidelines to prosecutors, law
enforcement officers, medicinal marijuana users or physicians as
to circumstances under which the CUA would exempt a person from
arrest or prosecution for possession or use of marijuana. In an
effort to develop guidelines based upon legitimate medicinal
need and the practicalities of obtaining marijuana for medicinal
purposes, El Dorado County District Attorney Gary Lacy and El
Dorado County Sheriff Jeff Neves have spent over a year in
numerous meetings with medical doctors, advocates for medicinal
marijuana users and local law enforcement officials. Through
these meetings, District Attorney Lacy and Sheriff Neves have
developed some guidelines for the public to assist them in
understanding the circumstances under which marijuana may be
grown, possessed or used by those who have a legitimate
medicinal need for marijuana as well as their care givers This
information will assist not only those individuals who use
marijuana medicinally, but will also provide guidance to
physicians recommending the use of marijuana for medicinal
purposes as well as law enforcement officers enforcing our drug
laws.
The following is the policy which has been adopted for the
use, possession and cultivation of marijuana within the intent
of the CUA for El Dorado County:
POLICY
Outdoor Cultivation (per patient - with a physician's
recommendation):
- March 1 through July 31 of each year 20 marijuana plants
- August 1 through October (harvest) 10 marijuana plants
Processed marijuana (per patient):
- September 1st through February 28 Up to two (2) pounds
- March 1st through August 31st Up to one (1) pound
Indoor Cultivation (per patient - with a physician's
recommendation:
On any given day:
- Ten (10) marijuana plants in "flower" stage
- One (1) "mother" marijuana plant
- Ten (10) "clones" / vegetative marijuana plants
- No more than one (1) pound of processed marijuana
Note: Patients or care givers cultivating marijuana for an
authorized patient may not maintain an outdoor cultivation and
an indoor cultivation at the same time.
Physician's Recommendation:
Written physician's recommendation should include the
following information:
- Patient's name
- Date of issue
- Physician's name, address and phone number
- Requires annual renewal
- It is recommended that copies of physician's
recommendations be posted at the garden site(s) and on file
with law enforcement (WENET).
Primary Care Giver:
May grow for:
- Members of care giver's household - with physician's
recommendation(s).
No more than three (3) patients outside care giver's
household - with physician's recommendation(s). |