Passed in 1996, Proposition 215 (the “Compassionate Use Act”) made the medical use of marijuana legal in California. In 2003, Senate Bill 420 was passed as a clarification of Proposition 215 and required the establishment of a statewide medical marijuana identification card and registry program under California Health and Safety Code and California Code of Regulations.
The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors approved implementation of the Medical Marijuana Identification Card (MMIC) Program in late 2008, and the County's MMIC Program opened in early 2009.
Under this State-wide and State-mandated program, San Joaquin County Public Health Services Vital Records Office is responsible for processing MMIC applications and issuing identification cards to qualified patients and primary caregivers who are residents of the County.