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Yeah, to clarify: while it is theoretically possible to get arrested in northern California for having weed, in practice, the chances are so small that the risk is negligible. Even in the extremely rare chance that you're nabbed, it's very similar to a speeding ticket.
Enough people have the card that the police usually don't check. In fact, there are several people who openly toke in public. I have never seen the police do anything with them, even though the entire street reeks of that stuff. This is probably because any non-federal police force open themselves up to liability if they try to enforce federal laws that are in conflict with California law. Feds usually investigate specific cases rather than just patrol around.
Furthermore, according to some people I know who are careless enough to actually get detained, the usual procedure here is that the police will single out the provider. If the provider has the card, nothing happens to them; if not, then it's a speeding-ticket-equivalent type of thing.
Everybody is more concerned about being caught providing alcohol to minors than possession/usage of weed. The risk is approximately the same, and the usual punishment for providing alcohol to minors is significantly higher.
Finally, as for legality: federal law superseding California law in that aspect is actually debatable. I can envision a significant Supreme Court case around the 9th amendment sometime in the future. Question is, if you're in California, who'd care enough to fight it if it technically isn't even a "crime"?
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