Nine months ago, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors voted against setting up an ID card program – ignoring a state law that requires each county to offer cards to patients who get a doctor’s prescription.

But the issue is coming up again after San Diego County recently lost its legal fight trying to resist the law.

Aaron Smith with the advocacy group Marijuana Policy Project says Sacramento needs to comply with the law. 

“So that already suffering patients will be able to not have to live in fear of false arrest every single time they transport their medicine from wherever they’re getting it to their home.” 

But Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness says the federal law banning marijuana trumps state law. 

“While I certainly understand the compassionate purpose and goal, I also have some very serious concerns about the statement that it makes to the public as to how much we respect and what level of reverence we have for federal law.” 

County Counsel is advising the supervisors to implement the program or risk a lawsuit that would not be defensible in court.