Shopping tips for recreational cannabis
Recreational marijuana is scheduled to go on sale at licensed stores in California on Jan. 1, or shortly thereafter, depending on the location.
Here’s what you need to know about buying and using “adult use” cannabis.
How much marijuana can I purchase?
You can buy 1 ounce of adult-use cannabis a day. If you’re a medical patient and have proper authorization from a doctor, you can buy up to 8 ounces a day.
There are a lot of strains of marijuana. Will I be able to sample them at the marijuana stores?
You cannot smoke on the premises or in most public places, especially those near schools and daycare centers. Can I have a delivery service bring recreational marijuana to my home?
Some stores say they plan to deliver recreational marijuana. But they’re still reviewing the rules.
Is it legal to transport recreational marijuana in my vehicle?
Yes — provided that the container it comes in remains sealed. You should keep the cannabis in your trunk while it is being transported. And remember that you cannot transport cannabis across state lines, even to places such as Nevada, where recreational marijuana is legal. It’s also illegal to transport marijuana into Mexico and Canada.
Can I buy marijuana with a credit card?
No. The sale of cannabis is against federal law. That means that banks generally won’t do busi-
ness with marijuana companies. So the stores must operate on a largely cash-only basis. Typically, you’ll find a cash machine at the store, so that shouldn’t be an issue.
Do the stores sell anything other than buds of marijuana?
Yes. Marijuana is in a wide variety of items, including topical creams, tinctures, liquids and concentrates. You can also buy edible marijuana. Cannabis has been infused in candy, popcorn, ice cream, cookies, sushi, drinks — virtually anything you can think of.
You should be careful with edibles. Some people get high when there’s only a tiny amount of marijuana in food. Other people need much more to get stoned.
And you should know that marijuana doesn’t kick in until 30, 60, even 90 minutes after it is consumed. So go slowly. Give the marijuana time to take effect.
We also suggest that you don’t leave edibles lying around your home. Many are packaged to look like nonmarijuana products. It would be easy for someone to mistakenly eat it.
This sounds kind of overwhelming. Where do I turn if I have a question?
Usually, the stores use “budtenders” to sell marijuana. These are people who are supposed to have an advanced understanding of cannabis. Many do. Some don’t. It can be hard to tell; budtenders aren’t required to be certified. You may want to talk to more than one budtender.
If you feel that you don’t understand what you’re buying, don’t buy it.
You can also buy edible marijuana. Cannabis has been infused in candy, popcorn, ice cream, cookies, sushi, drinks — virtually anything you can think of.