Plan to partake in pot? Read this
California permits marijuana for recreation, but there are still rules to follow
Monday ushers in the start of legal marijuana sales to California, and along with it, a host of questions about exactly how the system will work and the rules people need to follow.
Broadly speaking, California’s rules are similar to those used by other states that have legalized recreational (sometimes known as “adult use”) marijuana.
But the Golden State’s sheer size brings additional challenges and opportunities for sellers and marijuana tourists alike.
If you plan to indulge, here are some answers to questions you might have on California’s marijuana legalization:
Q: How old do I have to be, and do I have to be a California resident?
A: Anyone 21 and older can buy and consume marijuana in California, regardless of whether you’re a resident of the state or just visiting. It’s called “recreational” marijuana, to distinguish it from “medical” marijuana, which requires a doctor’s recommendation.
Stores must keep youngsters off the premises, and the cannabis products must be sold in child-resistant containers to reduce the risk of accidental ingestion by curious kids.
Q: How much can I buy?
A: You’ll be able to buy up to 1 ounce (28.5 grams) of marijuana from a licensed store for personal use. The law limits you to possessing 1 ounce at a time, which means you can buy more only after you use it up or give it away.
Unlicensed people aren’t allowed to sell pot, although they can give it away. The law allows people to grow up to six plants worth of a marijuana at a time for personal use.
Q: Is this going to be like my college experience?
A: Probably not — today’s marijuana is far more potent than the cannabis grown decades ago, and infused edibles, hash, oil, wax and “dabs” allow you to consume far more than if you were just smoking a joint.
One federal study found that people who smoke stronger marijuana simply use less, at least at first.
If you’re going to indulge, pace yourself, and that recommendation bears repeating a few more times for anyone trying edibles for the first time. Edibles take longer to kick in than smoked marijuana, so it’s easy to accidentally consume more than you should.
Q: Where can I consume it?
A: Not a lot of places. California has strict anti-tobacco laws limiting where people can smoke in public, the workplace or hotels. Your best bet is a private home. You can’t light up on the beach, and driving while high is illegal. Antismoking laws are one reason edible marijuana products have become so popular; in addition to being seen as healthier, they’re a lot more discreet.
Q: Wait. Isn’t this still entirely illegal at the federal level?
A: Yup. Federal agents could prosecute anyone they catch with pot bought in one of these recreational stores. The store owners, distributors and growers are exposed to federal prosecution as drug dealers, and banks caught handling their cash could be prosecuted under organized-crime laws.
Furthermore, people with commercial or pilots’ licenses or federal security clearances, along with federal employees and contractors, can lose their jobs if they’re caught using pot. That being said, it’s highly unlikely the feds would target individual customers. Instead, they’ve largely gone after people who have been growing pot intended for the black market.
Q: Can I take it home?
A: Nope. At airports, Transportation Security Administration agents generally don’t look for drugs in your bags, but if they find marijuana, they could call the police, who could arrest you for possession, since airports are covered by federal rules. In legal states, airports provide trash cans before security and post reminders not to fly with marijuana.
Even though marijuana is legal in Nevada and Oregon, you’re not supposed to cross state borders with it. The easy rule of thumb: Consume your cannabis in the state where you bought it.
Q: Where are my taxes going?
A: The state will levy a 15% tax on marijuana, collected by the distribution companies. Cities and towns can add their own taxes on top of that. The special state tax is supposed to be dedicated to a host of special areas, from increased black-market enforcement to environmental protection and grants to help low-income people find work. In other states, marijuana taxes have been used to help the homeless, repair and expand schools, and even send kids to college.
Q: How will this change the price for black-market cannabis?
A: Unclear. An estimate by cannabis data firm GreenWave Advisors suggests that half of the marijuana grown in California is illegally sold elsewhere. If the majority of California growers go legitimate and sell through the state’s legal system, that could significantly reduce the flow of black-market pot available elsewhere in the USA, driving up prices.
That’s why legalization advocates say more states should make pot legal, thus eliminating the black market and generating more local taxes. Critics counter that legalizing marijuana wrongly sends the message to kids that pot is safe to use.