UPDATED: Colo. marijuana patients protest privacy breaches

Colorado health authorities have rejected an emergency petition from medical marijuana patients to destroy the state patient registry because of security breaches.

The state Board of Health apologized Wednesday to marijuana patients who demanded they destroy the 107,000-person marijuana patient registry. The patients are angry about security problems outlined in a June audit. However, the health board unanimously rejected the emergency request, saying they want to hear from the state attorney general before proceeding.

Colorado’s medical patient list is supposed to be accessible to law enforcement only under limited circumstances. But state auditors in June blasted the health department for lax security of the registry. The official who manages the registry told board members the security problems are being addressed.