A Nine News reporter has shown how easy it is to get a legal medical marijuana licence in California by obtaining one himself during a short visit to a doctor.
Los Angeles bureau correspondent Peter Stefanovic told ninemsn he was issued with the licence after he complained about "a few issues sleeping and a couple of anxiety attacks".
"It's out of control — anyone can get a marijuana licence in California," he said.
"I told the doctor the truth but I didn't even need to prove anything.
"He wrote the prescription and told me to try some marijuana tea bags or cookies."
Debate over the legalisation of medical marijuana has reached boiling point in California, with authorities recently declaring that state law technically prohibits sales of the drug.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley last week announced plans to crack down on hundreds of small outlets — known as "dispensaries" — which are believed to be dealing marijuana illegally.
Mr Cooley also said he would consider investigating doctors believed to be giving medical marijuana licences to people who are not ill.
Medical marijuana advocates argue that the weed is California's biggest cash crop — valued at US$14bn annually — and having the drug easily available means violent Mexican drug cartels are kept out of the business.
In 1996, Californians voted to make it legal for patients with a doctor's recommendation and their caregivers to possess and cultivate marijuana for the patient's medical use.
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