Possession of Marijuana in California – What You Need to Know

Possession of Marijuana in California

Adult-use of marijuana was legalized in California as in November, which is considered a triumph for the marijuana industry. California is one of the most popular and influential states in the U.S, so legalization here may lead to legalization in some of the other states as well. But what doesn’t this mean to Californians? What is legal and not legal for you after the law is implemented? Here’s a clear look into the effects of proposition 64 and what you should keep in mind.

What is Legal?
Before you go out to purchase marijuana, it’s important to understand how this works. You also need to be patient because people without medical marijuana prescriptions won’t be able to purchase the drug for quite some time. You won’t be able to go to your nearest medical marijuana dispensary and purchase the weed right away because while you have the right to own marijuana, dispensaries don’t have to right to sell it without prescription yet. Here are some things that are completely legal:

  • If you’re above 21 years of age, you can posses and consume cannabis.
  • You can consume it in a private home.
  • You can possess about one ounce or 28.5 grams of marijuana flowers and about 8 grams of any concentrate.
  • You can give the same amount of marijuana flower or concentrate to another adult of over 21 years.
  • The law allows you to grow and keep up to 6 cannabis plants in your home.

What is Not Legal?
Proposition 64 is a very long document and what you can and can’t do is explained in detail. It can be a little confusing but there are some points that are very clear:

  • Individuals under the age of 21 years can’t possess or consume marijuana in any shape or form.
  • An adult can’t provide individuals under the age of 21 years marijuana under any circumstances.
  • Medical marijuana dispensaries can’t sell marijuana to individuals who don’t have a permit or prescription.
  • You can’t have more than the above mentioned amounts of marijuana in your possession.
  • You can grow marijuana for your private use but can’t sell it to individuals, even if they’re adults.
  • You can’t provide people with more than the above mentioned amounts of marijuana.
  • You’re not allowed to consume marijuana in public. You can only consume it in a private home.
  • Your employer can dismiss you from your job if you’re tested positive for cannabis during work hours.
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These are just some of the restrictions imposed to ensure safe consumption of marijuana and ensure minors don’t have access to it.

When Might You Gain Access to it?
As you can see from the above mentioned facts, you can only gain access to marijuana if you have a medical prescription or grow it in your home for private use. So when will you gain access to marijuana for recreational use without prescription?

According to the experts, the license to grow and sell marijuana won’t be handed out until January 1st of 2018. It’s possible that that large-scale grow licenses will be issued by January 1st of 2023. So you won’t get commercial access to marijuana until 2018. This is because marijuana must be tested and a regulation system must be set up before the drug is made available to the general public. Unlike medical marijuana, anyone above the age of 21 can walk in a purchase the drug so some precautions must be taken.

What Happens When You Violate the Laws?
The regulations are largely easy to understand. If you do get caught violating the laws, you might have to face some consequences. Here’s what you need to know:

  • Minor criminal penalties for possession have been removed for the most part for adults over the age of 21 years.
  • Criminal penalties have also been removed for minors under the age of 18. If they’re found in possession of marijuana, they’re made to attend a tax funded drug education program.
  • Adults over the age of 18 can’t share cannabis with people under the age of 21 years. If they are caught doing so, they’ll face a $500 fine and a six-month sentence. The offence will also be listed on their record.
  • Adults between the age of 18 and 20 can’t possess marijuana. If you’re caught with less than one ounce of the drug, you will have to pay $100 in fine. If you have more than one ounce in your possession, you can face up to six months in jail as well.
See also  What to Expect When Recreational Marijuana Becomes Legal in California.

As you can see, the marijuana laws are quite simple to understand for the consumer. Things get a little more complicated if you wish to enter into the business.

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Comments (1)

  1. Avatar for john1 john1 January 3, 2017 / 11:13 am / Reply

    Badass! Thx for the info

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