Starting January 1st of 2019, recreational marijuana is deemed legal in the state of California. No more having to have a prescription for medical marijuana; in fact, you can order it online, or go to any number of dispensaries to pick up an ounce or so of whatever strain you like, as long as you’re over 21.
Although not yet legal in all 50 states, medical marijuana culture – which has spun out the black market that now faces new regulations – has had a strong presence in CA for more than two decades. Folks with medical marijuana cards will still have a few advantages – they won’t have to pay taxes on their products, and they’ll have access to higher potency; up to 2,000 milligrams of THC. Buyers without medical cards will benefit from the new laws as well, though, and will be able to purchase weed that’s been tested for purity, contaminants, and potency, with some products being required to list the exact amount of THC and CBD levels.
Some additional lucky info for smokers; you can now legally grow up to 6 weed plants at home, as long as they’re not in the eye of the public! The one catch is that you have to check with your local government to see what their exact requirements are; some might require that you have a license, some might require that you pay a hefty fee or get a license (Kind of the same thing, lol. ) The legalization of weed has already started to have effect on some of the 12,500 weed farmers growing in the U.S. Although California is only the 6th state to allow legal recreational use and growth, the federal government isn’t allowed to persecute anyone using, growing or selling marijuana based products as long as they’re acting within the laws of their state. Although there’s been some backlash and adjustment to the new laws, that’s the way it always is at the beginning of any new regulations…or anything new, come to think of it. Prices are going to, and already have started to vary significantly. Growers selling illegally have lost about 25% on their prices, while commercial sellers must tack on an initial additional tax of 15% as well as state tax of 8%, which will effect who’s able to buy. With the advent of commercialization, it’s possible that the raised prices may even affect the use of medical cannabis for those that truly need it; cancer patients, etc. Whatever the result, we’ll be watching.
