Medical marijuana patients and advocates will hold a demonstration before attending the county Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday to urge the board to drop its doomed lawsuit seeking to overturn state medical marijuana laws.

San Bernardino and San Diego county officials have contended that federal laws prevent them from obeying state requirements to issue medical marijuana identification cards to qualified patients who desire them. Although the case has already been dismissed twice, most recently last week in a unanimous decision by the 4th District Court of Appeals, San Diego's Board of Supervisors has already voted to appeal the case again, this time to the California Supreme Court.

"In a time of staggering budget deficits and inevitable cuts to county services, San Bernardino’s officials must cease this meritless and wasteful litigation and obey the laws protecting medical marijuana patients," said Aaron Smith, California organizer for the Marijuana Policy Project, who will attend the demonstration and Board of Supervisors meeting. "If compassion for seriously ill San Bernardino patients isn't enough to make the board stop this nonsense, then respect for county taxpayers and the rule of law ought to be."

The demonstration begins at 11 a.m. Demonstrators will walk to the Board of Supervisors meeting (385 N. Arrowhead) at 12:30 p.m.

For more information, contact Aaron Smith, MPP California organizer at t:707-575-9870.