Calif. county may open marijuana clinic at hospital

Officials in Alameda County, Calif., are considering a proposal to open a medical marijuana clinic at Fairmont Hospital, San Leandro, as an alternative to private cannabis clubs that have generated complaints from neighboring residents. The county board of supervisors is scheduled to vote on the issue May 24. If the plan is approved, 420-bed Fairmont -- one of two hospitals that make up Alameda County Medical Center -- reportedly would become the nation's first public hospital to run a medical marijuana dispensary. Since 1996, California and nine other states have passed laws allowing the use of marijuana with a doctor's recommendation. Federal law, however, prohibits growing, possessing or selling marijuana for any reason. The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule soon on whether the federal ban preempts state laws. -- by Laura B. Benko