Legal Marijuana in California: What You Need to Know

California will treat cannabis like alcohol, allowing people 21 and older to possess up to an ounce of pot and grow six marijuana plants at home.

By Michael R. Blood, Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — California is now the nation’s largest state to offer legal recreational marijuana sales. Here’s a snapshot of how the market will work and how the state will regulate a pot economy estimated to be worth $7 billion:

THE BASICS

California voted to legalize in 2016. The goal is to tighten regulation of the state’s long-running medical pot sales while encouraging operators in the vast black market to enter the legal system.

In general, California will treat cannabis like alcohol, allowing people 21 and older to possess up to an ounce of pot and grow six marijuana plants at home. The state in December began licensing businesses for the new economy, including retailers who will sell it and distributors who will move it from fields to storefronts.

WHERE CAN I BUY LEGAL POT?

The availability of legal weed will come down to this: location. What’s emerged so far is a patchwork of local rules under which some cities will have legal cannabis on Jan. 1, but others will not.

Los Angeles has delayed accepting applications for legal sales until Jan. 3, and it will be weeks before any shops open. Kern County is among the places that have banned all commercial cannabis activity. Other cities have postponed taking action, waiting to see how the new market rolls out. Santa Cruz, San Diego, Shasta Lake, San Jose and West Hollywood have authorized businesses for recreational sales.

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