California’s first Legal Marijuana Dispensaries and the Beginning of an Era

Marijuana dispensaries

January 1st marked the beginning of a new era for the state of California. The first legal recreational sale of marijuana in the state of California was conducted on the first day of the New Year.

Within this past week alone, dozens of pertains were granted to recreational marijuana retailers.

This clearance was granted for the retail sale of cannabis was granted by the state. Some of the first to be granted licences for the sale of recreational pot by their cities are in Venice, Del Ray and Westchester.

On Wednesday it was calculated that 76 temporary licenses had been granted in the city. These are specific licenses that grant the business a legal sale of recreational marijuana.

In Los Angeles there are the following seven sellers which are the first to have been granted this license: MedMen Venice, 410 Lincoln Blvd.; California Alternative Caregivers, 122 Lincoln Blvd.; Marina Caregivers, 13453 Beach Ave.; The Green Dot, 4200 Lincoln Boulevard; Rose Collective, 411 Rose Ave.; Green Goddess Collective, 1716 Main St.; and LAX CC, 8332 Lincoln Blvd.

To date, recreational sale of cannabis within Santa Monica and other unincorporated communities are not allowed.

Every one of the eighty-eight incorporated cities in the county of Las Vegas has very different and specific laws.

Under California law only adults 21 years and older are legally allowed to purchase marijuana for recreational use. This came into effect on January the 1st.

The sale of marijuana is taxed and regulated by the state. There are specific licenses that are required for businesses to legally sell recreational marijuana. Not only do businesses need this license but the approval of the local city is also required for the sale of recreational pot to be truly legitimate.

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The Department of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) is appointed with the task of local approval. The Department is also responsible for the regulating this new market and is held accountable for granting business licensing as well.

According to the Law of California, only the business that have both local approval and the specific state license are deemed able to legally sell marijuana for recreational use. This state licensing and approval by the local jurisdiction need to be obtain by these businesses.

Business already selling and distributing pot for any current legal reason, as well as the pot distribution businesses, have ninety days to submit applications for the new legal license before they are inspected.

With each city have complex and individual laws, the waters surrounding what is legal are murky. Within the state of California, the following acts are deemed illegal: possessing more cannabis than the legal limit;, growing more than the legal limit;, consuming cannabis in public;, consuming cannabis while driving;, driving with an open container of marijuana;, driving while impaired (under the influence of marijuana), proving minors with cannabis;, engaging in the commercial use of marijuana without a license or at least a temporary license.

Pot delivery will also be made available under specific guidelines and regulations. The consumption of cannabis is strictly illegal. Coordinator for L.A County’s Office of Cannabis Management, Joseph Nicchita, compares the consumption of cannabis with the consumption of alcohol, saying that it is illegal to drink alcohol in public areas and the ingesting of cannabis follows the same rule. There seems to be many grey areas and loophole that the local entrepreneurs have found. In a manner of bypassing the “no smoking in public” rule, a lucrative club in downtown L.A promote themselves as a private club. Visitors to the club fill out a form to sign in to the private club and pay a fee at the door. In this way the club is no longer a public area. Nicchita is not fully convinced of the legality of this. In a statement he said that these clubs are “either illegal or they are in this really grey bubble.”

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Businesses are also feeling excited by this new law as there is a large potential for growth and business. The state also stands to benefit from the pot business. One year on into Oregon’s legalization and the legal marijuana sales have given the state $14.9 million in tax revenues. By certain estimates the marijuana market is predicted to grow exponentially in the next few years. It is expected that the market will have an annual growth of $7 billion.

The cannabis delivery service has also seen a rise in keen entrepreneurs. There are many of these cannabis delivery services in and around California and the market is quickly becoming competitive.

The laws around weed delivery and weed delivery services are different in each city. In the San Francisco Bay Area allow the delivery of specific marijuana while other cities, including Los Angeles, have banned such weed delivery services.

The state’s Bureau of Cannabis Control and L.A’s Department of Cannabis Regulation are putting together regulations regarding the weed delivery service market. Los Angeles is expected to develop into hub for the cannabis emerging market.

California’s Bureau of Cannabis Control and Los Angeles’ Department of Cannabis Regulation are in the throes of drafting regulations, and officials were unable to comment specifically on potential delivery policies.

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Comments (1)

  1. Avatar for mark stuart mark stuart January 30, 2018 / 9:47 am / Reply

    Large potential for growth and business are open now. New Era just started.

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