Law enforcement as an institution have historically been indoctrinated with the belief that Marijuana is an illegal drug. It continues to be an institutional bias that affects the average street cop.
So what changed? Well, one day the voters of
So the question is what proof of a medical recommendation is required? The answer may surprise you. None!
An oral recommendation from your physician is just as valid as a written recommendation. If you discuss medical cannabis with your physician and he recommends it for you then that is all you need. You don't need any form signed. It doesn't have to be in writing. It doesn't even have to be documented in your medical file. As long as he will back up his oral recommendation in the future by simply stating yes, I remember talking to him about medical cannabis and I approved it for his medical condition. That is all that is required.
You may find this clear statement of law in Health and Safety code section 11362.5(d) which states that a physician's recommendation may be "written or oral". So why do we see so many of those recommendation forms, and who are they for?
The medical recommendation forms are for two purposes. First, if you want to belong to cannabis club or obtain your medical cannabis from a club you will be required to prove you are a lawful medical cannabis user with this written recommendation. The second purpose for a written medical cannabis recommendation is you may attempt to prevent from getting arrested if an officer confronts you for possessing medical cannabis. However, based on the large amounts of arrests for medical cannabis by officers in the face of a medical recommendation don't count on it!
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