The national marijuana-policy group that largely bankrolled Arizona's medical-marijuana initiative held an educational forum Monday to explain key parts of the law, federal marijuana statutes and how medical-marijuana programs were implemented in other states.

About 150 prospective participants in the Arizona medical-marijuana program attended the forum.

Professionals urged the audience to be informed of the state health department's rule-making process.

The Arizona Department of Health Services will release the first draft of its rules on medical marijuana Friday, kicking off a public-comment period.

Marijuana Policy Project, based in Washington, and local professionals who worked on the Proposition 203 campaign coordinated the forum to educate prospective participants in anticipation of the public-comment period, said Joe Yuhas, representative of the Arizona Medical Marijuana Policy Project and co-founder of the Arizona Medical Marijuana Association, a trade group for dispensers and growers of medical marijuana.

The feedback the DHS receives could shape day-to-day activities for the program, and people looking to participate should help set standards, Yuhas said.

"There may be some that think this situation will become the same as it is in some other states," he said.

It is important to maintain support for the program, especially because Prop. 203 passed by such a slim margin, said Karen O'Keefe, MPP director of state policies and staff attorney who co-authored Arizona's initiative.

O'Keefe said even a few instances of participants violating state regulations could be detrimental to how the public perceives the program.

For example, in Montana, a few roving makeshift clinics called "cannabis caravans" gained widespread media attention and concerned legislators in Montana and other states, O'Keefe said.

In an October 2009 memo, the U.S. Department of Justice said that federal prosecutors should not target "individuals whose actions are in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state laws providing for the medical use of marijuana."

This is the key phrase future dispensary owners and patients should keep in mind: making sure their participation in the program is in "clear and unambiguous" compliance with DHS regulations, said Rob Kampia, MPP executive director and co-founder.