In Nov. 2016, Californians voted to pass Proposition 64, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (ACT). The rule permits individuals to possess up to 8 grams of concentrate and up to 28.5 grams of cannabis flower. It also permits to grow up to six cannabis plants on residential properties. In 2016, four states including California legalized use of weed for recreational use purposes.
California has invested heavily in marijuana so you will find plenty of weed if you need. According to 2015 marijuana statistics, California weed accounted for 62 percent of the entire cannabis sales and 48 percent of the entire weed sales in the nation. That means the Californian weed market is already larger than states that have already legalized recreational use such as Oregon, Alaska, and Washington.
Not even new legal markets including Massachusetts and Nevada can beat California’s weed potential. Come Jan. 1 when recreational weed goes fully legal, adult marijuana is expected to grow at 23.1 percent annually in state sales to hit the $6.5 million mark by 2020. It will be the largest marijuana market in the US.
Currently, the only place you can buy weed is a dispensary. However, you won’t be allowed to buy unless you have a written recommendation. It is not mandatory to have a marijuana card to purchase and possess weed, but it’s an additional safety measure in case you will have to interact with cops. Come Jan. 1 any adults aged over 21 will be able to buy wed without a recommendation, regardless of whether they are residents or travelers.
The simplest way to find a nearest weed dispensary is searching online. You are advised to confirm that they are licensed by the California Bureau of Marijuana Control. Buying from an unlicensed marijuana dispensary may land you in big trouble.Businesses operating in California may also be required to obtain local government marijuana weed licenses to operate legally.
There are no clear rules for dispensation of recreational pot, but they are likely to mimic those of states like Washington and Colorado. As California was the first state to legalize medical marijuana (in 1996) and already has comprehensive laws to regulate this, it is assumed the state won’t find it difficult to construct recreational marijuana policies.
Can Travellers buy weed in California Dispensaries?
Travellers with out-of-state recommendation can buy weed for medical use in California dispensaries. Until Jan. 1, it remains illegal for any Californian dispensary to sell weed for to anyone without recommendation, because only medical marijuana is legalized. The state agencies involved in regulation of growth, distribution, quality control, and sale of pot will not be issuing recreational marijuana licenses until 2018.
As a weed user, it’s not easy to be constantly on the right side of the law because the regulatory and legal landscape of pot is always shifting. You may need a legal expert who is always up to date on the local, state, and federal weed laws to update you so you can be on the safe side. If you are a traveler make sure to study the state’s laws properly before traveling, otherwise you may land into big trouble.
The only way you can legally obtain pot in California as a tourist is through obtaining your state’s recommendation for weed use from a licensed doctor. They allow recommendations for both residents and non-residents. You will only need a driver’s license, state ID, or passport with you to your physician’s appointment.
The Californian dispensary laws only allows you get recommendation for medical use if suffering from one or more of the following diseases or recommendations: anxiety, arthritis, cancer, chronic pains, chemotherapy side effects, fibromyalgia, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, migraine headaches, multiple sclerosis, radiation side effects, and any other medical conditions that may affect your daily life and physical or mental health if not addressed properly.
Come Jan. 1, any individual over 21 years of age, regardless of his or her national or state residency, is authorized by the Marijuana Act to buy, possess and use weed in California. As much as business will start obtaining licenses in early 2018, the law is still not very clear about several issues affecting the industry.
Like any other state, California users can only buy, possess, or use a given amount of weed. That recreational use of marijuana has gone legal does not give anyone a right to buy more than an eighth. Be sure to purchase only the right amount of weed from a licensed dispensary.
Regardless of whether you are qualified or not, if you are found in possession of more than 1 ounce of marijuana, you will be fined $100.
Both the enforcement and legislative federal legislation on weed are in a flux. It’s highly recommended that any individual who desires to grow, smoke, distribute, or sell weed should constantly check the status of local, state, and federal legislation.
It’s best that you seek the services of a legal expert that specializes in the cannabis-related issues so you can be on the right side of the law.
As a traveler, you are subject to more regulatory legislation when you want to buy weed than Californian licensed individuals. But by following the above-said rules, you will safely obtain the substance.
