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While Hayward and Oakland dispensaries may not provide acceptable environments for persons in the community needing medical marijuana, there are other dispensaries in operation in Castro Valley, San Lorenzo, Berkeley, Pacheco, Santa Clara, and San Francisco. (See attachment for a list nearby dispensaries.) While staff acknowledges that persons with medical conditions that require medical marijuana may not be able to travel the required distances to such locations, several of the businesses listed in the attachment provide for delivery, and State law allows the caregiver of a qualified person to obtain medical marijuana on that qualified person's behalf. B. Alameda County's ID Card Program and Dispensaries Operating in the County. As noted above, State law requires every county to issue medical marijuana identification cards,' which qualified persons may voluntarily obtain (e.g. a qualified person may still use or cultivate medical marijuana without such an ID card). Alameda County began issuing ID cards in August 2006. From Aug. 2006 through Feb. 2007, the County issued 1,186 such cards. Effective April 1st, the cost of an ID card will increase from $50 to $103 (with Medi-Cal beneficiaries paying only $51.50), which card must be renewed annually and the appropriate fee paid annually. When asked, County staff advised that the County was not comfortable telling City staff how many of these ID cards have been issued to persons listing Pleasanton as their place of residence, but did note that the "distribution of people getting cards has been fairly proportional throughout the county based upon overall population size". While Alameda County's code allows for three medical marijuana dispensaries to operate within the unincorporated areas of the County,2 County staff advised in Feb. 2007 that one of the three County-permitted dispensaries was shut down by the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency. The Alameda County Sheriff's Department reported activity at medical marijuana dispensaries within the County as follows: (i) Health Center at 15998 East 14th St. - 6 reports in 2004, 36 reports in 2005/06 and was closed in Feb. 2006; (ii) Alameda County Resources Center at 16250 East 14th St. - 3 reports in 2004 and 0 reports in 2005/06; (iii) Natural Source at 16360 Foothill Blvd. - 0 reports in 2004 and 19 reports in 2005/06 and was closed in April 2006; (iv) Garden of Eden at 21227 Foothill Blvd. - 0 reports in 2004, 5 reports in 2005 and no updated information for 2006; (v) Compassionate Collective of Alameda County - 0 reports in 2004, 20 reports in 2005 and was closed; and (vi) We Are Hemp at 913 East Lewelling Blvd. - 1 report in 2004, 1 report in 2005 and no updated information for 2006. ' The counties of San Diego and San Bernadino sued the State and challenged the State's ability to require those counties to issue medical marijuana ID cards based on the conflict with Federal law. These lawsuits have not reached final resolution at the time this report was written. Notwithstanding that the County Code allows for only three medical marijuana dispensaries, information from the Internet about available dispensaries lists five operating within unincorporated Alameda County. (See attachment.) Page 3 of 6