Author Archives: Deb Tharp

About Deb Tharp

Deb Tharp is a cannabis activist, consultant, and writer. She began her cannabis activism at the age of 18, helping local candidates campaign door-to-door in the Midwest. Little did she know that the plant would save her husband's life a decade later. After watching him recover 60 pounds to his skeletal frame in a matter of months, she was convinced that the war on weed must end. She ran for State Assembly in 2010 while completing her bachelor's degree at University of California, Irvine. During her campaign, she managed to bring cannabis legalization to the forefront of the debate. Little more than a year later, she was publicly arrested while gathering signatures for a cannabis ballot initiative in Orange County. She fired back at the county by qualifying Measure CC in Santa Ana under Kandice Hawes' of OC Norml’s expert leadership. In the following years, she authored, qualified and helped to qualify over a dozen local legalization ballot initiatives across the state while teaching other activists how to do the same. She currently writes for Nugg, the nation's largest online cannabis marketplace, while pursuing her law degree at Taft Law School and will graduate in 2021.

International Women’s Day: 8 Cannabis Founders Pressing For Progress
March 8, 2018 12:39 am Leave a Comment

Cannabis mirrors humankind in some very interesting and magical ways. It cuts to the heart of the delicate balance between yin and yang. Our masculine and feminine energies conflict and complement each other to drive our growth and transformation as a species. The same is true for male and female cannabis plants conflicting and complementing each other to provide for our needs.

Male plants provide pollen for producing nutritious hemp seeds while female plants are valued for the buds that nurture our minds. In other words, male plants provide food for the body, but female plants provide nourishment for our souls. We can take so many lessons from this plant, but one of our favorite is its call to celebrate the mystical and divine feminine nature.

There’s simply no denying the feminine spirit of the plant. So it should be no surprise that the cannabis industry has managed to draw the best female minds and creative forces to its budding businesses. Everywhere we look, we see women bringing their immense passion and fighting spirit to legalize a plant that should be considered sacred, not scorned.

In celebration of the women who influence our industry, we have interviewed those who provide us with inspiration daily. We hope you’ll find them inspirational too.
The badass women you'll meet in this post:

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Maya Elisabeth

Jane West

Jodie Emery

Aliza Sherman & Ashley Kingsley

Ophelia Chong

Molly Peckler

Kandice Hawes-Lopez
Maya Elisabeth

Founder, Om Edibles; founder, Whoopi & Maya

The amazing thing about cannabis is that she doesn’t discriminate.

Nugg: What have been some of your proudest moments/wins for women in the industry?

Elisabeth: We have received countless detailed testimonials of women telling us about the relief they have found from our products. A lot of women have searched for relief their whole life and have not been able to find it even with heavy pharmaceuticals. Our Relax tincture has improved women’s overall menstrual cycle if it is taken every day – it’s a real game changer. As for Om, every time we win an award women come up to us and tell us that we are an inspiration and it makes us feel really good. Victory feels good in general but it feels especially sweet when you hear the feedback that you are inspiring others – especially women.

Nugg: Is there a time in your cannabis career that you feel being a woman created a bias against you?

Elisabeth: Probably all over the place but I don’t care. I love being underestimated! I choose to focus on thriving and women supporting each other. For the most part men have really been more supportive than anything.

Nugg: What implications does a woman-led cannabis industry have for gender parity in other industries?

Elisabeth: I hope it will lead the example for other industries and show people that it’s possible. I hope to see females step to the forefront in many other industries as well, or at least be equal. That’s something they say about matriarchal societies – there is no leader; everyone is equal and the community is led by everybody. I love that idea! The amazing thing about cannabis is that she doesn’t discriminate.

Jane West

CEO, Jane West; founder, Women Grow; founder, Edible Events

It’s about launching a revolution of female-led companies all across the cannabis industry.

Nugg: What role will women play in erasing the stigma against cannabis?

West: Women are incredibly well positioned to help lead the cannabis revolution. As people see successful business women, stay-at-home moms, working mothers, and even grandmothers adopt cannabis into their healthy, busy, and successful lifestyles, they’ll challenge the lingering stigmas around cannabis use. Women all over the country are also helping to launch credible, sustainable cannabis companies, showing the world that through responsible stewardship, the cannabis industry can be a lasting force for good.

Nugg: What have been some of your proudest moments/wins for women in the industry?

West: My team and I built the Jane West lifestyle brand on the belief that women and others who have traditionally been underrepresented in corporate culture should have a seat at the table in the cannabis industry, as well as have a stake in our success. Now, through Republic, anyone can own a part of our company, and help shape our future, with an investment of as little as $25. That’s the sort of ground-breaking approach that can really help level the playing field for women everywhere.

Nugg: Is there a specific moment in your cannabis career that you feel being a woman created a bias against you? How did you push forward and overcome?

West: There were plenty of times during our initial fundraising round when I wondered if it would have been easier for me to raise capital if I were a man. After all, while 38 percent of all businesses are owned by women, only 2 percent of venture capital funding currently goes to female-owned companies. Of course, disparities like that just inspire me and my team to work harder than ever to reach our goals, not just for the success of our own company, but for the sake of female entrepreneurs everywhere.

Nugg: What implications does a woman-led cannabis industry have for gender parity in other industries?

West: I truly hope that women in other fields will be inspired by the incredible wealth of companies being launched and operated by women in the cannabis space. Because this is a nascent industry, it’s surely easier for women entrepreneurs to gain a foothold in cannabis than it is in established businesses. But that doesn’t mean women shouldn’t fight for positions of power and authority, no matter their trade. From an even bigger-picture approach, I hope that the women who are staking their claim in the cannabis industry and building it into a legitimate, powerful sector of the economy will challenge established views of women in the workplace and ultimately cause the old patriarchal paradigm to shift towards an equitable corporate culture.

How is Women Grow/Jane West products helping to create a landscape where young women can win in the cannabis industry, long-term, and how can young women get involved with your efforts?

West: I hope young women will take inspiration from our ambition and launch their own businesses, build their own teams of incredible women, and find out for themselves how much is possible when they focus on their dreams. This isn’t just about one female-led company making it big. It’s about launching a revolution of female-led companies all across the cannabis industry.

Jodie Emery

Cannabis Rights Activist

We have to be inspiring and optimistic in order to help make things better.

Nugg: It was exactly a year ago that your arrest happened on International Women’s Day. You serve as a beacon in the cannabis industry because you’re such a strong female character and you fight so hard for cannabis rights. Do you have anything to say about the significance of International Women’s Day in the cannabis industry?

Emery: There’s some horrific stories about how the drug war’s been used to perpetuate sexual violence against women; sexual violence by the state. I definitely was traumatized by the strip searching that went on. When we got to the maximum security prison and they needed to do another strip search and I said, “So, top first and then bottom?” and she said, “No, everything all at once, squat and cough.” And it’s just so extra degrading. And then I find out that our Canadian courts have said strip searches are unconstitutional.

Afterward, I asked my lawyer, “You know when they tell you to take off your clothes, what if you said no?” And he said, “Well you can’t really say no. You are in their control.” So that’s a very traumatic thing to realize. It’s sexual assault at the hands of the government. So, in my life I’ve been through sexual assault, as many women have. And I deal with that. This happens to almost everybody who gets arrested for cannabis dispensaries or even low level crimes. It deprives women of their liberty. For me, it being International Women’s Day and going through that, there is this kind of sick irony to it, especially with the full year of #MeToo.

Nugg: Looking back, do you regret anything?

Emery: No I don’t regret it. We helped provide access to tens of thousands of people. We really helped save lives literally, as all cannabis providers do. There’s an opioid crisis happening across North America and we know that cannabis dispensaries reduce opioid deaths and people literally came in saying it saved their lives. I also use cannabis personally for depression and anxiety.

I’ve been through a lot in my life. I lost my father to suicide, I’ve been through all sorts of horrific things. But I am a strong and tough woman. So, cannabis helps me cope. We have to be inspiring and optimistic in order to help make things better.

Nugg: What’s next?

Emery: The next step is get legal, have retail stores, lounges – you need consumption spaces. I want cannabis culture to be legal in that way. And then I want to work with hemp because I am a green environmentalist at heart. But politically, calling for a moratorium on arrests. They could have stopped the arrests immediately but they’re not. I also need to work on amnesty for all records. The gov’t will be pressured into getting rid of records for simple possessions. That will probably happen in a year or two.

Aliza Sherman & Ashley Kingsley

Co-Founders of Ellementa

Nugg: Can you speak about about how Ellementa came to be/what your driving motivations were?

Sherman: Ellementa came out of a personal need for pain relief and chronic insomnia. I was suffering from arthritis in my neck from years of tech use and my sleep was interrupted from peri-menopause. The quality of my life was dwindling from lack of sleep and pain. Once I tried it before bedtime – I live in Alaska where it is legal – realized it was the natural remedy I was seeking. When I slept through the night for the first time in several years, I cried from relief. Then I set out to make sure other women who were suffering in silence were getting the information they needed to help and heal.

Nugg: Tell us a bit about Ellementa gatherings. How can women get involved in future gatherings?

Sherman: Our gatherings are small by design – average attendance is about 20 women although some markets bring in 30 or 40. We try to branch off into additional gatherings in any given area to keep them intimate so they are not intimidating to newcomers. Women are moved by the candid stories told by our experts or by other women in the room. We showcase brands through “show and tell” – we always lead with education before sales.

Nugg: Do you feel there is gender parity in the cannabis industry, or do we still have a long way to go? How will we carry these lessons forward towards racial parity in cannabis?

Sherman: Decriminalizing and legalizing cannabis nationwide will hopefully address some of these inequities and wrongs but it is a much more complex undertaking than simply changing laws. Expecting any industry, including cannabis, to completely transform societal biases is quite a heavy load. But if we have a chance to ensure that the cannabis industry is about inclusion and equality, we have to keep that top of mind in everything we do. Women are the change in cannabis. We want to see diversity and representation for all.

Nugg: How is the cannabis movement better as a sum of its parts? Why is it important for women to come together in the cannabis industry instead of battling for first place?

Kingsley: I truly believe we must lift each other up and build the cannabis industry together and support one another. There are an unlimited amount of opportunities to innovate and create – and together, we are better. We don’t have to do this alone and it does not need to be a race or a competition. Women are natural collaborators – and with collaboration comes amazing partnerships, strategies, unique and collective ideas. Our industry needs every single last one of us in order to grow and move cannabis to the mainstream. I think it is so important to always honor the plant first – without her, we wouldn’t be here.

Ophelia Chong

Photographer & Founder, Stock Pot Images

Photography has changed public opinions from wars, to how people see a celebrity.

Nugg: What have been some of your proudest moments/wins for women in the industry?

Chong: Everyday I see people move a step closer to their goals and I applaud them all. If I had the pick one instance it would be seeing Cat Packer take on the arduous job of Chief Executive of Cannabis for the city of Los Angeles. The goal is to bring equality to a white male dominant industry.

Nugg: What challenges lie ahead for women in cannabis?

Our challenge will be not resting on our laurels. Rather we should be constantly moving forward and be open to reinventing ourselves.

Nugg: Where do you see the synergy of art + cannabis taking our culture in the future? How has it gotten us to where we are today?

Chong: Art is based on theory and thesis, not on a substance. Cannabis is a stimulant and it also relaxes. Art is from the mind and heart and whatever you use to stimulate both is where it began, but it is not the end product.

Molly Peckler

Founder, Highly Devoted (cannabis matchmaking)

Women are just being more bold and they’re not taking “no” for an answer.

Nugg: How did your cannabis matchmaking service Highly Devoted come to be?

Peckler: I was a mainstream matchmaker for several years. That’s where I really started to become familiar with helping people find love, and that’s where I first started tapping into my coaching abilities. I have a degree in psychology – I’ve always been very curious about people and what makes them tick, what their motivations are. And I’ve always just been a coach to all of the people in my life when it came to relationships, so it came very naturally to me. But I was curious about getting into the cannabis industry because it’s been a huge passion of mine as well. I left mainstream matchmaking to take a gig at a cannabis consulting firm.

Nugg: Why is cannabis such a good connector for matchmaking?

Peckler: First and foremost, if cannabis is an important part of your life, it’s a lifestyle, it’s a perspective, it really goes to your core and who you are. And so to be able to be with someone who gets that, and respects that, and doesn’t judge you for that, and can even connect with you on that same level is really powerful. It’s also a great tool for anchoring yourself in the current moment and really being there in the here and now with your partner. I feel like it lets your walls come down. It always makes my ego go on the back burner. I’m a better listener. I always feel like I’m the best version of myself when I use cannabis.

Nugg: What are some other ways you see women winning it in the industry, and why do you think it’s important for women to have a strong hand in the progression of the cannabis movement?

Peckler: Women are just being more bold and they’re not taking “no” for an answer. It’s still completely lopsided when it comes to investment and a whole host of aspects of the industry, but I think women are getting a lot of attention in media and that’s really powerful. Really becoming authorities and experts in the industry. Every single day I’m excited to wake up and see what I can do and how far I can go. If I was a man in this industry I would have had it easier in some ways, but I wouldn’t trade this for anything. I love the opportunity I have and the niche that I’ve carved out specifically. And I don’t think I could have done that if I was a man.

Kandice Hawes-Lopez

Executive Director, Orange County NORML

Women have been behind most of the historic changes in social and political policy.

Nugg: What have been some of your proudest moments/wins for women in the industry?

Hawes-Lopez: For me personally, I feel the city of Santa Ana underestimated me as a young woman in the industry. After lobbying the city and getting no action regarding the regulation of medical cannabis dispensaries, I co-authored and organized the campaign that collected over 10,000 signatures and qualified for the ballot. I was very proud because I was able to organize 20 male-led collectives in this effort and force the city into action.

Nugg: What role will women play in erasing the stigma against cannabis?

Hawes-Lopez: Women have been behind most of the historic changes in social and political policy. It’s women’s compassion, caring and nurturing qualities that put us in the line of fire for others. As women change their views on issues like cannabis, these new views are passed down to the children they raise, and family they care for.

Nugg: What implications does a woman-led cannabis industry have for gender parity in other industries?

Hawes-Lopez: I think we need to see more large cannabis companies run by women. If society sees wives and mothers in the cannabis industry I think it will help remove the stigma and normalize the industry. I hope having more women-led cannabis businesses will help gender parity in other industries. If society sees women making great strides in complicated industries, it will encourage other industries to not discount our abilities.

As women, we all have a vested interest in the future of the cannabis industry. It will eventually affect every other business industry in the world. So, we are in this together, and we will rise together. If you would like to show your support, Nugg is donating the proceeds of our International Women’s Day celebration T-Shirts to support women entrepreneurs in cannabis.

Visit www.womensday.getnugg.com to learn more and get involved.
Your Comprehensive Guide to California Cities’ Cannabis Regulations
March 5, 2018 5:00 pm Leave a Comment
This list of city regulations is provided for informational purposes only. It’s not intended as a substitute for advice from a qualified attorney. The regulations in California’s municipalities are literally changing on a daily basis, so this publication takes no responsibility for outdated information. Those planning on opening commercial businesses, medical collectives or conducting personal cultivation are strongly advised to seek an attorney. Additionally, this isn’t a comprehensive list of all legislation in California, merely a broad overview of limited city information. All readers are urged to contact their local government to obtain their most recent local regulations.

While knowing your county’s regulations is very important, understanding your city regulations is even more key. This article serves as the landing to update city ordinances (find a roundup of California’s 58 county ordinances here). It’ll be updated as legislation develops and city regulations are adopted.

Please keep in mind that these regulations are changing rapidly. Some cities are moving to ban deliveries within their borders while others are just about to legalize. So it’s important to double check your own ordinances if you have any doubt.

If you have links to local regulations that you can provide or corrections to suggest, your input will be greatly appreciated. You can email them to debbie@getnugg.com. We thank you ahead of time for your input.
Learn about California's Cannabis Regulations in:

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Alameda County Cities
Alpine County Cities
Amador County Cities
Butte County Cities
Calaveras County Cities
Colusa County Cities
Contra Costa County Cities
Del Norte County Cities
El Dorado County Cities
Fresno County Cities
Glen County Cities
Humboldt County Cities
Imperial County Cities
Inyo County Cities
Kern County Cities
Kings County Cities
Lake County Cities
Lassen County Cities
Los Angeles County Cities
Madera County Cities
Marin County Cities
Mariposa County Cities
Mendocino County Cities
Merced County Cities
Modoc County Cities
Mono County Cities
Monterey County Cities
Napa County Cities
Nevada County Cities
Orange County Cities
Placer County Cities
Plumas County Cities
Riverside County Cities
Sacramento County Cities
San Benito County Cities
San Bernardino County Cities
San Diego County Cities
San Francisco County & City
San Joaquin County Cities
San Luis Obispo County Cities
San Mateo County Cities
San Barbara County Cities
Santa Clara County Cities
Santa Cruz County Cities
Shasta County Cities
Sierra County Cities
Siskiyou County Cities
Solano County Cities
Sonoma County Cities
Stanislaus County Cities
Sutter County Cities
Tehama County Cities
Trinity County Cities
Tulare County Cities
Tuolumne County Cities
Ventura County Cities
Yolo County Cities
Yuba County Cities

Alameda County

Alameda City

Medical Storefront: Yes

Recreational Storefront: Yes

Medical Non-Storefront: Yes

Recreational Non-Storefront: Yes

City Contacts: 2263 Santa Clara Ave. Alameda, CA 94501 (510) 747-7400

Last Updated 3/5/2019

Albany

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

The city doesn’t license mobile dispensaries yet, but delivery into the city is now allowed anywhere in California. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

City Contacts: 1000 San Pablo Ave. Albany, CA 94706 (510) 528-5710

Last Updated 3/5/2019

Berkeley

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Yes, you can buy both adult-use and medical cannabis at Berkeley dispensaries.

Can I Get Delivery?

The city doesn’t license mobile dispensaries yet, but delivery into the city is now allowed. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Berkeley has comparatively permissive rules for personal and even collective cultivation. You can grow your own six plants either indoors or outdoors. You can cultivate up to 200 square feet collectively, or if your residence/facility is less than 800 square feet, up to 25% of your total residence/facility size. If your outdoor cultivation area is visible to the general public, you’re limited to 10 plants or less.

Taxes

Recreational cannabis is taxed at 10% (it might be 5% soon), while medical cannabis is at 2.5%. This puts total recreational taxes at 34.25% (15% excise, 10% local selling tax and 9.25% state sales tax). Medical tax will go up to 17.5% (15% excise and 2.5% local selling). The other taxes are different for each part of the business and vary by size. You can see the tax breakdown here.

City Contacts

Secretary: Elizabeth Greene

Planning & Development

(510) 981-7484

EGreene@CityofBerkeley.info

Mailing Address: Cannabis Commission

Elizabeth Greene, Secretary

1947 Center St., 2nd Floor

Berkeley, CA 94704

Last updated 3/5/2019

Dublin

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Both deliveries and storefront dispensaries are prohibited in the city, but delivery into the city is now allowed. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Cultivation is restricted to six plants, indoor only by residents 21 and over only. There are several additional cultivation restrictions here.

City Contacts

City Hall

100 Civic Plaza

Dublin, CA 94568

(925) 833-6600

Last updated 3/5/19

Emeryville

Medical Storefront: Yes

Recreational Storefront: Yes

Medical Non-Storefront: Yes

Recreational Non-Storefront: Yes

City Contacts: 1333 Park Ave. Emeryville, CA 94608 (510) 596-4300

Last Updated 3/5/2019

Fremont

Fremont’s clearly under the impression that cannabis is nothing more than a crime magnet. Not only has the city put immense regulations on personal cultivation, it’s also demanded all personal cultivators register with the police. Their cannabis rules are in Section 18.190.307.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

No. Dispensaries are banned.

Can I Get Delivery?

The city doesn’t license mobile dispensaries yet, but delivery into the city is allowed now with the new regulations. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Not only must cultivation be indoors in a “secure, locked, and fully enclosed, with a ceiling, roof or top, and shall be entirely opaque from all sides, including the top,” but cultivators must also register with the police.

City Contacts

3300 Capitol Ave.

Fremont, CA 94538

(510) 284-4000

Last Updated 3/5/2019

Hayward

The city’s still tying up their regulations and moving forward with implementation. It’ll allow all commercial activity.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Yes, both recreational and medical.

Can I Get Delivery?

Yes, you can get both adult-use and medical delivery.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

SEC. 10-1.3602 of their municipal code is dedicated to personal cultivation. Outdoor growing is permitted, as long as it’s not in a front or side yard and isn’t publicly accessible or viewable.

Taxes

Measure EE allows Hayward to tax up to 15%, but it hasn’t decided the exact tax to charge. They’ll have a decision very soon.

City Contacts

City Hall

777 B St.

Hayward, CA 94541

(510) 583-4000

Last Updated 3/5/2019

Livermore

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

No, not yet. Both adult-use and medicinal dispensaries are banned.

Can I Get Delivery?

The city placed many restrictions on delivery, which you can read here. Recent regulatory changes allow dispensaries to deliver anywhere in the state, however. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

There aren’t any specific rules listed in Livermore’s current municipal code, so the rules refer to state law. It’s a good idea to call the city before starting cultivation for personal purposes.

City Contacts

City Hall

1052 S Livermore Ave.

Livermore, CA 94550

(925) 960-4000

Last Updated 3/5/2019

Newark

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Dispensaries are banned in the city, but delivery is now allowed anywhere in the state. You can check with Nugg here to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

“Cultivation of cannabis for non-commercial, personal purposes by a qualified patient or a primary caregiver, subject to the limitations and requirements of subsection (g) of California Health and Safety Code Section 11362.777, is not prohibited within the city.”

City Contacts

City Hall

37101 Newark Blvd.

Newark, CA 94560

(510) 578-4000

Last Updated 3/5/2019

Oakland

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

You can purchase both adult-use and medical cannabis from dispensaries and delivery services.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Adult-use cultivation is restricted to indoor only and limited to six plants..

Indoor cultivation for medical collective use of up to three patients per residence is also allowed with certain restrictions (total collective cultivation area is limited to 250 square feet). All patients are required to have a city-approved MMID, and certain building and safety requirements must be met.

You can read the rest of Oakland’s non-licensed medical and adult-use cultivation requirements here.

Taxes

Oakland imposes a 5% tax on medical sales, so the total will be 20% (15% excise, plus 5% local). A 10% tax on adult-use sales will make the retail total 34.25% (15% excise, 10% local and 9.25% state sales.) They also impose tax on other cannabis businesses, so products produced in the Oakland area will go up in price.

City Contacts

Cannabis Regulatory Commission

Greg Minor

One Frank Ogawa Plaza, 11th Floor

Oakland, CA 94612

(510) 238-6370

GMinor@oaklandnet.com

Last Updated 3/5/2019

Piedmont

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

The city doesn’t license mobile dispensaries yet, but delivery into the city is allowed. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

City Contacts: 120 Vista Ave. Piedmont, CA 94611 (510) 420-3050

Last Updated 3/5/2019

Pleasanton

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

No. Both medical and recreational dispensaries are prohibited.

Can I Get Delivery?

The city doesn’t license mobile dispensaries yet, but delivery into the city is now allowed. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

A qualified medical patient can grow up to three plants indoors and a primary caregiver can grow up to nine. Recreational cultivators can only grow up to six total, so anyone who wants to grow the maximum must be a primary caregiver. A MMJ patient can’t add their three plants to the six allowed for recreational. Outdoor growing is outlawed, but fully enclosed backyard accessory structures are fine. Discover more of Pleasanton’s cultivation rules here.

City Contacts

City Hall

123 Main St.

Pleasanton, CA 94566

(925) 931-5001

Last Updated 3/5/2019

San Leandro

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Yes, but only medical, so it’s a good idea to hang on to (or get) your MMJ ID card. The city only allows three medical marijuana dispensary permits, but will also allow testing laboratories and a pilot manufacturing program. View their dispensary ordinance here.

Can I Get Delivery?

The city allows mobile medical dispensaries, but you can also get adult-use delivery anywhere in the state now. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The city simply refers back to state law for personal cultivation by banning “any indoor cultivation, mixed light cultivation and outdoor cultivation, other than cultivation for personal use in accordance with State law.”

City Contacts

City Hall

835 E 14th St.

San Leandro, CA 94577

(510) 577-3200

Taxes

The city approved a local tax of 6% to begin in 2019. This will make the total adult use tax 21% (6% local plus 15% excise).

Last Updated 3/5/2019

Union City

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Yes. The city will allow all types of commercial cannabis activity including microbusinesses. You can read the additional cannabis business regulations here.

Can I Get Delivery?

Yes. Adult-use and medical deliveries are allowed.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Adult use cannabis cultivation is limited to six plants and may be grown either indoor or outdoor (or both, but still only six total). Medical cannabis cultivation by a primary caregiver for qualified patients is limited to growing for no more than five patients total per parcel, again, either indoor or outdoor. There are a few more regulations, such as plant height for outdoor cultivation, which can be learned here.

Taxes

The city submitted a voter tax measure during the November 2018 election, which was approved. The city now taxes cannabis businesses at rates of $12.00 per square foot for cultivation and 6 percent of gross receipts for other businesses.

City Contacts

City Hall

34009 Alvarado-Niles Rd.

Union City, CA 94587

(510) 471-3232

Last Updated 3/5/2019

Alpine County

Alpine County has banned commercial cannabis. Since cannabis delivery is now permitted throughout the state, it may be possible for the county’s 1,270 residents to receive delivery from nearby areas. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Amador County

All cities and the unincorporated areas of Amador County have banned commercial cannabis. Since delivery is now legal throughout the state, it may be possible to get delivery from nearby areas. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Butte County

Biggs

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

The city doesn’t license mobile dispensaries yet, but the new cannabis regulations allow delivery statewide now. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

City Contacts: 465 C St. Biggs, CA 95917 (530) 868-0102

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Chico

Chico has an excessively prohibitive cannabis ordinance banning all dispensaries and delivery services, as well as a near de facto ban on personal cultivation.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Nope.

Can I Get Delivery?

The city still isn’t licensing mobile dispensaries, but the new statewide regulations allow you to get delivery anywhere–even in areas that ban commercial cannabis. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Chico’s personal cultivation restrictions are so onerous it’s nearly impossible to get a permit grant. The fee for both medical and recreational cultivation permits is set by the city council. Last year, the medical growing fee was $238.

City Contacts

City Hall

1960 E 20th St.

(530) 896-0200

Activist Organizations

Chico Cannabis Association

Gridley

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 685 Kentucky Street Gridley, CA 95948 (530) 846-5695

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Oroville

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 1735 Montgomery St. Oroville, CA 95965

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Paradise

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

The city isn’t licensing mobile dispensaries, but the new statewide regulations allow you to get delivery anywhere–even in areas that ban commercial cannabis. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

City Contacts: 5555 Skyway Paradise, CA 95969 (530) 872-6291

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Calaveras County

Angels Camp

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 584 S Main St, Angels Camp, CA 95222 (209) 736-2181

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Colusa County

Colusa City

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

The city isn’t licensing mobile dispensaries (although they allow manufacturing, distribution and testing), but the new statewide regulations allow you to get delivery anywhere–even in areas that ban commercial cannabis. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

City Contacts: 425 Webster St, Colusa, CA 95932 (530) 458-4740

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Williams

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

The city isn’t licensing mobile dispensaries (although they allow cultivation, manufacturing, distribution and testing), but the new statewide regulations allow you to get delivery anywhere–even in areas that ban commercial cannabis. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

City Contacts: 425 Webster St, Colusa, CA 95932 (530) 458-4740

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Contra Costa County

Antioch

Antioch is finally allowing commercial cannabis activities.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Yes. Antioch is now licensing both medical and recreational storefronts and delivery services. You can see the new municipal code here. You can learn more about Antioch’s progress in developing and initiating their new cannabis ordinance here.

City Contacts

City Hall

200 H St.

Antioch, CA 94509

Mailing Address

P.O. Box 5007

Antioch, CA 94531

(925) 779-7000

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Brentwood

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

The city isn’t licensing mobile dispensaries, but the new statewide regulations allow you to get residential delivery everywhere, including in cities that ban commercial cannabis. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

“A person may cultivate marijuana plants inside his or her private residence, or inside an accessory structure to his or her private residence located upon the grounds of that private residence that is fully enclosed and secured against unauthorized entry, provided that the owner of the property provides written consent expressly allowing the marijuana cultivation to occur, the person conducting the marijuana cultivation complies with all applicable Building Code requirements set forth in Title 8 of the Municipal Code, there is no use of gas products (including, but not limited to, CO2, butane, propane, and natural gas) on the property for purposes of marijuana cultivation, and the marijuana cultivation complies with Health and Safety Code Section 11362.2(a)(3). Not more than six living plants may be planted, cultivated, harvested, dried, or processed within a single private residence, or upon the grounds of that private residence, at one time. (Ord. 994 § 2, 2017)”

City Contacts

City Hall

150 City Park Way

Brentwood, CA 94513

(925) 516-5400

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Clayton

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: (925) 673-7304

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Concord

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Sorry, cannabis dispensaries aren’t allowed.

Can I Get Delivery?

Yes. After pleas from local patients, the city decided to allow deliveries from licensed businesses located outside of the city. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

All outdoor cultivation is banned, but indoor cultivation consistent with the AUMA and Prop 215 are allowed. The regulations for indoor cultivation aren’t particularly onerous.

City Contacts

City Hall

1950 Parkside Dr.

Concord, CA 94519

(925) 671-3000

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Danville

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: (925) 314-3329

Last Updated 3/8/2019

El Cerrito

Medical Storefront: Yes

Recreational Storefront: Yes

Medical Non-Storefront: Yes

Recreational Non-Storefront: Yes

City Contacts: 10890 San Pablo Ave. El Cerrito CA 94530

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Hercules

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 111 Civic Dr. Hercules, CA 94547 (510) 799-8200

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Lafayette

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 3675 Mount Diablo Blvd., #210 Lafayette, CA 94549 Phone: (925) 284-1968

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Martinez

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 525 Henrietta St, Martinez, CA 94553 (925) 372-3500

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Moraga

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 329 Rheem Blvd., Moraga, CA 94556 (925) 888-7050

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Oakley

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 3231 Main St, Oakley, CA 94561 (925) 625-7000

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Orinda

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 22 Orinda Way Orinda, CA 94563 (925) 253-4200

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Pinole

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 2131 Pear Street, Pinole, CA 94564 (510) 724-9000

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Pittsburg

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

The city isn’t licensing mobile dispensaries, (although they do allow manufacturing, distribution and testing), but the new statewide regulations allow you to get residential delivery everywhere, including in cities that ban commercial cannabis. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

City Contacts: 65 Civic Ave. Pittsburg, CA 94565 (925) 252-6900

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Pleasant Hill

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 100 Gregory Ln, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 (925) 671-5270

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Richmond

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Yes. Both medical and recreational cannabis sales are allowed, including deliveries.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Cultivation must be indoors. Other than that, there are no specific restrictions listed for personally growing six plants. Any commercial medical marijuana cultivation must be licensed by the city.

Taxes

Measure V was passed in 2010 to impose a 5% tax on gross receipts for all cannabis businesses. This will put total adult use tax at 29.25% (15% excise, 5% local, and 9.25% sales tax) and medical tax at 20% (15% excise and 5% local).

City Contacts

City Hall

450 Civic Center Plaza

Richmond, CA 94804</spa

(510) 620-6513

San Pablo

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 13831 San Pablo Ave, San Pablo, CA 94806 (510) 215-3000

Last Updated 3/8/2019

San Ramon

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. San Ramon expressly forbids dispensaries and isn’t licensing mobile dispensaries, but the new statewide regulations allow you to get residential delivery everywhere, including in cities that ban commercial cannabis. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Residents are restricted to six plants, no matter how many adults live there, that are inside or in an accessory structure not located in the front yard. Using supplemental gases is prohibited and lighting’s limited to 1,000 watts per fixture. You can read the rest of the imitations here.

City Contacts

City Hall

7000 Bollinger Canyon Rd.

San Ramon, CA 94583

(925) 973-2500

Walnut Creek

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: (925) 943-5812

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Del Norte County

Crescent City

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 377 J Street. Crescent City, Ca. 95531 (707) 464-7483

Last Updated 3/8/2019

El Dorado County

Placerville

Medical Storefront: Yes

Recreational Storefront: Yes

Medical Non-Storefront: Yes

Recreational Non-Storefront: Yes

City Contacts: 3101 Center Street, Placerville, CA 95667 (530) 642-5200

Last Updated 3/8/2019

South Lake Tahoe

Medical Storefront: Yes

Recreational Storefront: Yes

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

The city isn’t licensing mobile dispensaries, but the new statewide regulations allow you to get residential delivery everywhere. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

City Contacts: 1901 Airport Rd, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150 (530) 542-6000

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Fresno County

Clovis

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Clovis only allows cannabis testing. All other commercial uses are banned, including delivery and dispensaries; but the new statewide regulations allow you to get residential delivery everywhere. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Medical and adult cultivation are limited to 32 square feet, no matter how many people live in the house. There are several restrictions that you can here.

City Contacts

City Hall

1033 5th St.

Clovis, CA 93612

(559) 324-2060

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Coalinga

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Yes. Coalinga was one of the first cities in California’s Central Valley to allow all types of commercial cannabis activity.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Medical and adult cultivation are limited to 32 square feet, no matter how many people live in the house. There are several restrictions that you can here.

City Contacts

City Hall

155 West Durian

Coalinga, CA 93210

Phone: 559-935-1533

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Firebaugh

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. Firebaugh allows all commercial activity except dispensaries and deliveries. However, state law how allows delivery to any city in the state, even if there is a local ban. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

City Contacts

City Hall

1133 “P” St.

Firebaugh, CA 93622

Phone (559) 659-2043

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Fowler

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 128 S. 5th St. Fowler, CA 93625 (559) 834-3113

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Fresno

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 2600 Fresno St. Fresno, CA 93721 (559) 621-2489

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Huron

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 36311 Lassen Ave, Huron, CA 93234 (559) 945-2241

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Kerman

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 850 S Madera Ave, Kerman, CA 93630 (559) 846-9384

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Kingsburg

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 1300 California St. Kingsburg, CA 93631 (559) 897-2931

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Mendota

Mendota allows everything but dispensaries and deliveries. They also require all cultivation to be indoors.

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 1300 California St. Kingsburg, CA 93631 (559) 897-2931

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Orange Cove

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 633 6th St, Orange Cove, CA 93646 (559) 626-4488

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Parlier

Parlier allows some commercial activity, but not dispensaries or deliveries.

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 1100 E. Parlier Ave. Parlier CA, 93648 (559) 646-3545

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Reedley

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 1733 9th Street Reedley, CA 93654 (559)637-4200

Last Updated 3/8/2019

San Joaquin

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 21900 W Colorado Ave, San Joaquin, CA 93660 (559) 693-4311

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Sanger

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 1700 7th St. Sanger, CA 93657 (559) 876-6300

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Selma

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 1710 Tucker Street, Selma CA 93662 (559) 891-2200

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Glenn County

Orland

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 815 4th St. Orland, CA 95963 (530) 865-1600

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Willows

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 201 N Lassen St. Willows, CA 95988 (530) 934-7041

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Humboldt County

Arcata

Medical Storefront: Yes

Recreational Storefront: Yes

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

The city licenses storefront dispensaries, but not mobile dispensaries. However, the new statewide regulations allow you to get residential delivery everywhere, including in cities that ban commercial cannabis. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

City Contacts: 736 F St, Arcata, CA 95521 (707) 822-7091

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Blue Lake

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 111 Greenwood Ave. P.O. Box 458 Blue Lake, CA 95525-0458 (707) 668-5655

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Eureka

Medical Storefront: Yes

Recreational Storefront: Yes

Medical Non-Storefront: Yes

Recreational Non-Storefront: Yes

City Contacts: 531 K Street-Room 208 Eureka, CA 95501-1146 (707) 441-4144

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Ferndale

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 834 Main Street, Ferndale CA, 95536 (707)786-4224

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Fortuna

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 621 11th Street, Fortuna, CA 95540 (707) 725-7600

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Rio Dell

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 675 Wildwood Ave, Rio Dell, CA 95562 (707) 764-3532

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Trinidad

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 409 Trinity St, Trinidad, CA 95570 (707) 677-0223

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Imperial County

Brawley

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 383 W. Main St. Brawley, CA. 92227

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Calexico

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 608 Heber Ave. Calexico, CA 92231 (760) 768-2110

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Calipatria

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 140 West Main St. Calipatria, CA 92233 (760) 348-2211

Last Updated 3/8/2019

El Centro

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No, all dispensaries and deliveries are prohibited whether medical or recreational.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The city simply bans all cultivation not that isn’t prohibited by state law. It’s a very simple ordinance.

City Contacts

City Hall

1275 Main St.

El Centro, CA 92243

(760) 336-8989

Holtville

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 121 W 5th St, Holtville, CA 92250 (760) 356-2912

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Imperial

Medical Storefront: Yes

Recreational Storefront: Yes

Medical Non-Storefront: Yes

Recreational Non-Storefront: Yes

City Contacts: 420 South Imperial Ave. Imperial CA 92251 (760) 355-4371

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Westmorland

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 355 S Center St. Westmorland, CA 92281 (760) 344-3411

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Inyo County

Bishop

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 377 West Line Street, Bishop, CA 93514 (760) 873-5863

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Kern County

Arvin

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 200 Campus Dr. PO Box 548 Arvin, CA 93203 (661) 854-3134

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Bakersfield

Bakersfield has enacted a total ban on commercial activity. There was a ballot initiative to lift the ban on the November 2018 ballot, but it failed to pass.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Commercial adult-use and medical dispensaries are banned.

Can I Get Delivery?

The city won’t license mobile dispensaries, but the new regulations allow delivery to any residential location in the state. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Bakersfield does not show any specific rules for personal cultivation on their website or municipal code, but the city isn’t allowed to completely ban cultivation per state law. It’s best to contact the city before beginning any personal cultivation to clarify the rules.

City Contacts

City of Bakersfield

1600 Truxtun Ave.

Bakersfield, CA 93301

(661) 326-3000 (CA Relay Service 711)

Local Activist Groups

Kern Citizens for Patients Rights

Last Updated 3/8/2019

California City

California City has decided to go big and allow all cannabis activity. They’ll have a corner on the market in their area as this is the only city in Kern County that allows commercial cannabis sales, although Arvin allows cultivation, manufacturing, and testing.

Medical Storefront: Yes

Recreational Storefront: Yes

Medical Non-Storefront: Yes

Recreational Non-Storefront: Yes

City Contacts: 21000 Hacienda Boulevard California City, CA 93505

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Delano

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

The city isn’t licensing any dispensaries, but the new statewide regulations allow you to get residential delivery everywhere, including in cities that ban commercial cannabis. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Since the city hasn’t adopted any new ordinances regarding adult-use cultivation, you’ll refer to state law.

City Contacts

City Hall

1015 – 11th Ave.

Delano, CA 93215

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Maricopa

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 400 California St. Maricopa, CA 93252-0550 (661) 769-8279

Last Updated 3/8/2019

McFarland

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 401 W Kern Ave, McFarland, CA 93250 (661) 792-3058

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Ridgecrest

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 100 W California Ave. Ridgecrest, CA 93555 (760) 499-5000

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Shafter

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 336 Pacific Ave, Shafter, CA 93263 (661) 746-5001

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Taft

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 209 E Kern St. Taft, CA 93268 (661) 763-1222

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Tehachapi

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 115 S Robinson St, Tehachapi, CA 93561 (661) 822-2200

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Wasco

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 746 8th St. Wasco, CA 93280 (661) 758-7214

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Kings County

Avenal

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 919 Skyline Blvd. Avenal, CA 93204 (559) 386-5766

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Corcoran

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 832 Whitley Ave, Corcoran, CA 93212 (559) 992-2151

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Hanford

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Hanford allows Prop 215 compliant cannabis dispensaries until Jan 9, 2019. If they aren’t licensed by the city and state by then, they’ll be forced to shut down. All other commercial cannabis dispensaries and delivery services are prohibited. (Page 33)

Can I Get Delivery?

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Personal cultivation is limited to six plants in a 32 square foot indoor space. Using gas products is prohibited and there can’t be evidence of cultivation from a public right of way. Check out the other personal cultivation requirements here.

City Contacts

City Hall

315-321 North Douty St.

Hanford, CA 93230

(559) 585-2500

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Corcoran

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 119 Fox St, Lemoore, CA 93245 (559) 924-6700

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Lake County

Clearlake

Medical Storefront: Yes

Recreational Storefront: Yes

Medical Non-Storefront: Yes

Recreational Non-Storefront: Yes

City Contacts: 14050 Olympic Dr, Clearlake, CA 95422 (707) 994-8201

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Lakeport

Medical Storefront: Yes

Recreational Storefront: Yes

Medical Non-Storefront: Yes

Recreational Non-Storefront: Yes

City Contacts: 225 Park St, Lakeport, CA 95453

(707) 263-3056

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Lassen County

Susanville

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

City Contacts: 66 North Lassen St. Susanville, CA 96130 (530) 252-5100

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Los Angeles County

Alhambra

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. Alhambra prohibits both medical and recreational deliveries and dispensaries by a temporary moratorium. The moratorium will be addressed with a permanent ordinance by the end of the year. You can read the moratorium ban here, starting at page 63.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Only six plants may be grown inside a fully enclosed residence structure. The instructions can be found here on page 67.

City Contacts

City Hall

111 S 1st St.

Alhambra, CA 91801

(626) 570-5000

Arcadia

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. Both all cannabis dispensaries and delivery services are prohibited.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Arcadia bans cannabis cultivation to the extent of the law, including outdoor, and requires a permit to grow the set six plants. Examine additional cultivation information here.

City Contacts

City Hall

240 W Huntington Dr.

Arcadia, CA 91007

(626) 574-5400

Azusa

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No, both are prohibited for both medical and recreational purposes.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Azusa requires you apply for a permit with the Economic and Community Development Department in order to cultivate your legal cannabis on your private property. A Live Scan will be required with the application. The city can reject the application if you have a felony drug conviction or any pending code enforcement issues, past fees or liens. Those who want to grow can read the restrictions here.

City Contacts

City Hall

213 E Foothill Blvd.

Azusa, CA 91702

(626) 812-5200

Bellflower

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Bellflower specifies rules for adult-use dispensaries, but the current uses granted by the Council seem to be for medical dispensaries only. It’s best to hang on to your medical cannabis card.

Can I Get Delivery?

Yes, but Bellflower only allows deliveries from licensed storefront dispensaries.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Outside cultivation is forbidden; other than that, the city doesn’t have any additional restrictions beyond state law.

Taxes

Bellflower taxes all cannabis sales at 5% of gross receipts.

City Contacts

City Hall

16600 Civic Center Dr.

Bellflower, CA 90706

(562) 804-1424

Burbank

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

No. Dispensaries are expressly prohibited.

Can I Get Delivery?

There’s no commercial delivery allowed in Burbank. Primary caregivers can deliver cannabis to their patients in the city, but only if they’re exempt from commercial licensing and have no more than five patients.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

For medical use, only six mature or 12 immature plants are permissible. Outdoor cultivation is not specifically prohibited.You can read the regulations here.

City Contacts

City Hall

275 E Olive Ave.

Burbank, CA 91502

(818) 238-5564

Carson

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Carson allows commercial cannabis activity, but doesn’t allow commercial dispensaries or non-profit medical dispensaries.

Can I Get Delivery?

Yes. Luckily, Carson allows deliveries of adult-use and medical cannabis, so long as the delivery business is fully licensed with the local and state government.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Carson requires a personal cultivation permit before a resident can grow the six plants allowed on their property. The cultivation site must be inspected before the permit is issued, and reinspected every two years when seeking renewal. You can find the rest of the considerable list of restrictions here.

City Contacts

City Hall

701 E Carson St.

Carson, CA 90745

(310) 830-7600

Cerritos

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. Both dispensaries and deliveries of medical and recreational cannabis are outlawed.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Outdoor cultivation is prohibited, and indoor cultivation requires a permit with many restrictions and city inspection rights. A fee’s also required for personal cultivation of medical or the state-allowed six plants. If you want to grow despite the city’s restrictions, find them here.

City Contacts

City Hall

18125 Bloomfield Ave.

Cerritos, CA 90703

(562) 860-0311

Compton

Residents of Compton had two measures on the ballot that would’ve allowed a tax on commercial cannabis activities and dispensaries. Voters rejected them with a resounding no, as both lost with 75% and 76% “no” votes respectively.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Sadly, no. Both are prohibited under a extended moratorium.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

“Cultivation of cannabis for commercial or non-commercial purposes, including cultivation by a qualified patient or a primary caregiver, is expressly prohibited in all zones and all specific plan areas in the City of Compton. No person, including a qualified patient or primary caregiver, shall cultivate any amount of cannabis in the City, even for medical purposes. Due to the passage of Proposition 64, this prohibition will not apply to the cultivation of up to six (6) live marijuana plants within a single private residence, or inside an accessory structure to a private residence located upon the grounds of private residence that is fully enclosed and secure, as this activity is specifically authorized by Health and Safety Code section 11362.2.”

City Contacts

205 S Willowbrook Ave.

Compton, CA 90220

(310) 537-8000

Covina

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. Both dispensaries and deliveries are banned for both medical and adult-use purposes.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Personal cultivation is regulated to the point that it’d be nearly impossible. Adults 21 and older may cultivate six plants or less indoors if they first register with the police and pay a fee. Lighting is limited to 600 watts. On the bright side, Covina has one of the most reasonable fees for the unreasonable registration requirement–a mere $25. Read the cultivation restrictions here.

City Contacts

City Hall

125 E College St.

Covina, CA 91723

(626) 384-5400

Diamond Bar

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Both medical and adult-use dispensaries and delivery services are outlawed.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Outdoor cultivation is prohibited. Other than that, you’ll refer back to state law for specific indoor cultivation regulations.

City Contacts

City Hall

21810 Copley Dr.

Diamond Bar, CA 91765

(909) 839-7000

Downey

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Get Delivery?

No. Both storefront dispensaries and deliveries are strictly prohibited by the city’s code.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

All cultivation must be indoors and limited to six plants. Duplexes and single family homes are allowed to grow in a fully enclosed accessory unit, though not inside accessory dwelling units or garages. Total lighting is limited to 1200 watts and the cultivation area is restricted to 50 square feet. You can read the rest of the restrictions here.

Oddly, Downey requires the cultivator or personal caregiver to be 21 or older. There’s no explanation why those 18 to 21 with a MMID can’t grow their own; but the city’s very clear in Section 9428.10 that it doesn’t allow medical cannabis cultivation for or by qualified patients under 21.

City Contacts

City Hall

11111 Brookshire Ave.

Downey, CA 90241

(562) 869-7331

El Monte

El Monte allows commercial medicinal cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, and laboratory testing. Yet the city does not allow commercial medical or adult-use dispensaries or deliveries.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Cultivation is restricted to indoor only, and a permit must first be obtained from the city. El Monte reserves the right to inspect the cultivation spot once every six months with 72 hours notice. Read the additional restrictions here.

City Contacts

City Hall

11333 Valley Blvd.

El Monte, CA 91731

(626) 580-2001

Gardena

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary Or Delivery?

Sadly, both are banned.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Outdoor cultivation is prohibited, while indoor cultivation requires a permit. Review the restrictions here. When asked, the city’s community development department didn’t know the cost of the personal cultivation permit or what the permitting process would be.

City Contacts

City Hall

1700 W 162nd St.

Gardena, CA 90247

(310) 217-9500

Glendale

The city of Glendale bans everything.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. Their municipal code explicitly bans both.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Glendale quotes state law verbatim for personal cultivation rules. Therefore, growing outdoors in a fully enclosed area is okay; but the greenhouse must be fully enclosed. It doesn’t address medical cultivation in their code–except to ban everything the city isn’t forbidden from banning by state or federal law.

City Contacts

City Hall

613 E. Broadway

Glendale, CA 91206

(818) 548-4844

Community Development

(818) 548-2140

Glendora

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Sorry, medicinal and adult-use dispensaries and deliveries are flatly prohibited with no exceptions for qualified medical patients.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Glendora prohibits outdoor cultivation and requires a permit to grow the six allowed plants indoors. The permit application necessitates a fee and has some very difficult requirements. It is, for all intents and purposes, a de facto ban despite the state law requirements.

City Contacts

City Hall

116 E Foothill Blvd.

Glendora, CA 91741

(626) 914-8200

Hawthorne

Hawthorne plans to finalize personal cultivation and commercial cannabis rules by July 2018. For now, adult-use cannabis stays prohibited.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

No, the city doesn’t allow any.

Can I Get Delivery?

No. However, Hawthorne has a very unusual exception to their delivery ban:

“It is hereby declared unlawful and a public nuisance for any person to engage in the delivery and or distribution of medical marijuana except to a person who can provide written proof that they have been deemed non-ambulatory by a licensed physician. Delivery personnel must carry and be able to demonstrate upon request that they are licensed by state law, possess legal ability to deliver medical marijuana from a state licensed medical marijuana facility, and possess a copy of delivery request matching the address of the non-ambulatory patient (bill of sale). Delivery personnel are required to obtain a business license prior to operation and the business license must be carried and available for review upon request by city personnel. (Ord. 2148 § 5, 2017.)”

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Cultivation is limited to six plants indoors in a space no bigger than 50 square feet. There are additional restrictions like plant height and ceiling distance you can read here.

City Contacts

City Hall

4455 W 126th St.

Hawthorne, CA 90250

(310) 349-2900

Huntington Park

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Yes, Huntington Park already has licensed adult-use dispensaries. It also allows delivery.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The municipal code doesn’t seem to have specific regulations for personal cultivation. Contact the city before you start so you’re compliant with state law.

City Contacts

City Hall

6550 Miles Ave.

Huntington Park, CA 90255

(323) 582-6161

Inglewood

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Get Delivery?

No. Commercial sales are banned, along with “outpatient sale, dispensing, or distribution of medical cannabis or cannabis product to a qualified patient is prohibited.” The city does allow cannabis distribution for in-patient care with a special use permit.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Cultivation is required to be indoor and limited to six plants per residence whether for recreational or medical purposes. Other than that, there are no lighting or other restrictions. You can read the regulations here.

City Contacts

City Hall

1 West Manchester Blvd.

Inglewood, CA 90301

(310) 412-5111

La Mirada

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. Both are banned for both adult-use and medical purposes.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

La Mirada doesn’t acknowledge the legitimacy of medical cultivation. But because the city’s prohibited from completely banning cultivation it’s restricted to indoor only, and cultivators must be 21 and over. Only six plants or less are allowed.

City Contacts

City Hall

13700 La Mirada Blvd.

La Mirada, CA 90638

(562) 943-0131

Lakewood

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

No. The city prohibits all cannabis activity.

Can I Get Delivery?

No. All marijuana delivery is specifically prohibited in the municipal code.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Lakewood prohibits cultivation, except where blocked by state law, so refer to the state’s standard provisions before growing and check with the city to see if the ordinance has changed beforehand.

City Contacts

City Hall

5050 Clark Ave.

Lakewood, CA 90712

(562) 866-9771

Lancaster

The city of Lancaster bans all commercial cannabis activity, except five medical cannabis cultivation facilities.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

No. Both medical and recreational dispensaries are banned.

Can I Get Delivery?

No. Lancaster explicitly prohibits all types of delivery services.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The latest updates don’t show any strict regulations for medical cannabis, but they literally ban everything allowed by law. They also ban outdoor cultivation, so expect to grow your six allowed plants indoors only.

City Contacts

Lancaster City Hall

44933 N. Fern Ave.

Lancaster CA 93534

(661) 723-6000

Long Beach

Currently Long Beach only allows commercial medical marijuana, not adult-use. It offers limited medical dispensary and delivery licenses, and unlimited licenses for all other medical marijuana businesses. This includes manufacturing, cultivation, laboratories and distribution. The city made a fact sheet to help local residents understand their licensing process and new laws.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

The city must allow no less than 27 dispensaries and no more than 35, so you’ll have plenty of dispensaries to choose from.

Can I Get Delivery?

Yes, medical deliveries are allowed.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Adults 21 and over can grow up to six plants per person inside their residence. They can grow up to 12 plants if two people live there, but no more no matter how many adults live there. The city also has very strict rules to ensure that the plants are kept in a locked, enclosed area away from anyone under 21.

Taxes

All sales will be subject to a 15% excise tax and the 6% local tax. Since all sales are medical, there will be no state sales tax applied, so the total will be 21%. All medical cannabis products that are manufactured, cultivated, transported or distributed in the city are subject to an additional 6% local tax based on gross receipts.

City Contacts

Medical Marijuana Information Hotline

(562) 570-5150

marijuanalicense@longbeach.gov

City of Los Angeles

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Yes, both adult-use and medical.

Can I Get Delivery?

You can now. The new ordinances allow for both medical and adult-use delivery once the proper state licenses are obtained.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The Office of Cannabis Regulation has been contacted in an attempt to obtain the regulations for personal recreational and medical cultivation. They didn’t have an immediate answer, so it’s best to call or email their office and observe all state rules.

Taxes

Adult-use cannabis sales are taxed at 10% and medical cannabis sales are taxed at 5%. This puts total adult-use taxes at 34.5% (15% excise, 10% local selling, and 9.5% state sales). Medical taxes will total 20% (15% excise and 5% local selling tax).

City Contacts

Department of Cannabis Regulation

221 N. Figueroa, Suite 1245

Los Angeles, CA 90012

(213) 978-0738

cannabis@lacity.org

Montebello

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

All dispensaries and delivery services are prohibited.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Outdoor cultivation is forbidden, while indoor requires a city-issued permit for the six allowed plants. The permit costs $249 for every two years. Montebello also demands the right to enter the home and inspect the grow at any time with five days written notice. Refusal to comply will result in the permit’s revocation. If you wish to comply with these regulations, read the other personal cultivation restrictions here.

City Contacts

City Hall

1600 W Beverly Blvd.

Montebello, CA 90640

(323) 887-1200

Monterey Park

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Unfortunately not. Both are restricted.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The city doesn’t appear to have passed any additional regulations beyond banning medical cultivation. Check with the city before they start growing.

City Contacts

City Hall

320 W Newmark Ave.

Monterey Park, CA 91754

(626) 307-1458

Norwalk

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. Dispensaries and delivery services are banned.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Outdoor non-commercial and commercial medical cultivation is banned. Norwalk only allows residents to grow six plants indoors. Examine the ordinance here.

City Contacts

City Hall

12700 Norwalk Blvd.

Norwalk, CA 90650

(562) 929-5700

Palmdale

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No way. Palmdale explicitly bans every type of cannabis service.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Palmdale still doesn’t have an ordinance addressing personal cultivation (confirmed with phone call to city attorney). This could change at any time, so be sure to check with the city if you have any questions.

City Contacts

City of Palmdale

38300 Sierra Highway

Palmdale, CA 93550

(661) 267-5100

Paramount

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Sorry, all are prohibited.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Six plants inside a private residence or greenhouse, as long as the area doesn’t exceed 100 square feet and ten feet high. Learn more restrictions here.

City Contacts

City Hall

16400 Colorado Ave.

Paramount, CA 90723

(562) 220-2225

Pasadena

Pasadena adopted an ordinance on November 13 reaffirming their ban on all cannabis activities.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. Pasadena bans all commercial cannabis activity.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

You may only grow six plants indoors no matter how many adults live at the residence. Outdoor cultivation is strictly prohibited.

City Contacts

City Hall

100 Garfield Ave.

Pasadena, CA 91101

(626) 744-7311

Pico Rivera

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Recreational and medical dispensaries and deliveries are banned.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Under the current moratorium, cultivation remains limited to six plants inside only. Other than that, cultivation regulations refer to state law. Examine the temporary moratorium here.

City Contacts

City Hall

6615 Passons Blvd.

Pico Rivera, CA 90660

(562) 942-2000

Pomona

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Pomona explicitly prohibits both medical and recreational services of any type.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Pomona’s regulations are similar to Fontana’s as the city’s charging for a permit and imposing extremely invasive regulations. Among these is a requirement allowing the city to inspect your personal property at any given time with 72 hours notice. Until the challenge to these prohibitive ordinances has been answered, it’ll be very difficult to comply with the city’s regulations.

City Contacts

City Hall

505 Garey Ave.

Pomona, CA 91766

(909) 620-2311

Rancho Palos Verdes

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. Both dispensaries and deliveries are banned, no matter the usage.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Rancho Palos Verdes has a set of rules for personal cultivation on private property that’s nearly as stringent as most cities’ commercial cultivation permit process. If you’re interested in reading the long list of regulations and prohibitions do so here.

City Contacts

30940 Hawthorne Blvd.

Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275

(310) 544-5200

Redondo Beach

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. Both dispensaries and deliveries of adult-use and medical cannabis are banned.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

You are limited to six plants only, whether medical or recreational, but can grow your six plants indoors or outdoors. Your cultivation “must occur in a secured location or within a locked structure upon the growers own property, or a property to which they have explicit authority to access in an area that is not visible from a public right-of-way.”

City Contacts

City Hall

415 Diamond Street

Redondo Beach, CA 90277

(310) 372-1171

Rosemead

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. Both medical and adult-use dispensaries and deliveries are explicitly banned. However, there’s an exception: primary caregivers can deliver medical marijuana to their qualified patients.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Rosemead hasn’t adopted new regulations since 2016 when it banned all cannabis activity, so refer to state law. Periodically ask if there are any recent regulations as the city can adopt new rules any time.

City Contacts

City Hall

8838 E Valley Blvd.

Rosemead, CA 91770

(626) 569-2100

Santa Clarita

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No; both dispensaries and deliveries are banned as part of an extended moratorium. The city plans to develop a more permanent ban ordinance later this year.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The city requires all cultivation to be indoors or inside a fully enclosed, locked accessory structure. The city doesn’t have specific codes regarding personal medical cultivation, so it’s best to speak to an attorney if you have questions.

The city’s ban ordinance isn’t listed on any of the normally easily accessible sites, so here’s a link to the ordinance. The pertinent parts are on page 162.

City Contacts

City Hall Mailing Address

23920 Valencia Blvd., Suite 300

Santa Clarita, CA 91355

Phone: (661) 259-CITY [2489]

Fax: (661) 259-8125

Santa Monica

Santa Monica will allow a very small number of medical dispensaries, but adult-use is out. The city also allows for light manufacturing.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

You can purchase medical only.

Can I Get Delivery?

Yes, but medical only.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

They haven’t established specific cultivation rules yet, so it’s best to call the city and ask before beginning either medical or recreational grows.

Taxes

Taxes haven’t been established, though expect an ordinance soon.

City Contacts

City Hall

1685 Main St.

Santa Monica, CA 90401

(310) 458-8411

South Gate

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. They’re both strictly prohibited.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

South Gate is one of the cities attempting to require a permit to grow cannabis at home. The city doesn’t charge a fee, but the applicant must sign an affidavit confirming he or she won’t engage in marijuana cultivation for commercial purposes. Growing is strictly limited to six plants and only in a certain type of room. Learn the rest of the city’s regulations here.

City Contacts

City Hall

8650 California Ave.

South Gate, CA 90280

(323) 563-9543

Torrance

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Both medical and recreational dispensaries and delivery services are explicitly banned.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Torrance forbids all medical and adult-use cultivation except for the state allowed six plants, which must be grown indoors. Oddly, there’s no exception for medical patients under 21. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

The code states, “Cultivation of medicinal and adult-use cannabis is expressly prohibited in the City. No person, including a qualified patient or primary caregiver, will cultivate any amount of cannabis in the City, even for medical purposes.”

City Contacts

City Hall

3031 Torrance Blvd.

Torrance, CA 90503

(310) 328-5310

West Covina

West Covina passed a restrictive ban ordinance more than a month before Prop 64 passed.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. Both dispensaries and deliveries are prohibited.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

West Covina is attempting to limit recreational and medical cultivation to exclusively to residents 21 and older. Review the remainder of the cultivation restrictions here.

City Contacts

City Hall

1444 West Garvey Ave. S

West Covina, CA 91790

(626) 939-8400

Whittier

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

For now, Whittier still bans all commercial cannabis activity, including deliveries. They may consider changing their ordinance in the near future.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Whittier doesn’t allow outdoor cultivation. Other than that, there are no additional restrictions beyond state law. You can read their short cultivation rules here.

City Contacts

City Hall

13230 Penn St.

Whittier, CA 90602

(562) 567-9999

Madera County

Madera

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Sorry, all dispensaries and deliveries are banned.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Madera requires all personal growers obtain a $149 permit, with the possibility of additional fees associated with this registration process. Cultivation must be indoors and inaccessible to minors. The city wouldn’t confirm nor deny whether it’d share this info with federal authorities, so ask about their policy before requesting a permit application. Read the rest of the personal cultivation regulations here.

City Contacts

City Hall

205 W 4th St.

Madera, CA 93637

(559) 661-5400

Marin County

San Rafael

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Unfortunately, dispensaries are prohibited, regardless of its purposes.

Can I Get Delivery?

Yes, though the city only allows medical cannabis.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

San Rafael’s urgency ordinance refers to state law for personal cultivation. “Commercial or personal cultivation of cannabis within the City, for non-medical or medical use, is prohibited except as provided by Health and Safety Code section 11362.1.”

Taxes

The city is considering a local tax of up to 8% on cannabis gross receipts in the June 2018 election.

City Contacts

City Hall

1400 Fifth Ave.

San Rafael, CA 94901

(415) 485-3070

Mariposa County

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

Mariposa is under a complete ban, but delivery is now allowed anywhere in California due to the new regulations. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

County Contacts: 5100 Bullion St. Mariposa, CA 95338

Last Updated 3/5/2019

Mendocino County

Fort Bragg

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

Fort Bragg bans all cannabis activity, but delivery is now allowed anywhere in California due to the new regulations. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

City Contacts: 416 N Franklin St, Fort Bragg, CA 95437 (707) 961-2823

Last Updated 3/5/2019

Merced County

Merced

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Yes. Both adult-use and MMJ dispensaries are allowed. In fact, the city requires at least one of the four dispensaries allowed to provide medical cannabis. Review the ordinance starting on page 165.

Can I Get Delivery?

You can get both adult-use and medical delivery, but the delivery company must be licensed with the city and deliveries can only be between 8am and 7pm. You can read the additional delivery rules starting at page 168-O.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

All cultivation must be indoors and limited to six plants in no more than 50 square feet, unless the limit is prohibited by state law. Understand the cultivation restrictions beginning on page 167.

Taxes

The city hasn’t enacted any tax, but will hold a vote on the subject in a June, 2018 election.

City Contacts

City Hall

A678 W 18th St.

Merced, CA 95340

(209) 385-6834

Modoc County

Alturas

Medical Storefront: Yes

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

Alturas only allows medical storefronts, but delivery is now allowed anywhere in California due to the new regulations. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

City Contacts: 200 W North St, Alturas, CA 96101 (530) 233-2512

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Mono County

Mammoth Lakes

Medical Storefront: Yes

Recreational Storefront: Yes

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

Mammoth Lakes doesn’t license mobile dispensaries, but delivery is now allowed anywhere in California due to the new regulations. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

City Contacts: 437 Old Mammoth Rd suite r, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546 (760) 965-3600

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Monterey County

Salinas

Salinas allows all commercial cannabis activity and has a very comprehensive ordinance.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Yes, there are five dispensaries in Salinas and some have received the all-clear to sell adult-use as well.

Can I Get Delivery?

There are three cannabis delivery services licensed in Salinas, though some may still be working on their state licenses.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

You can grow your plants either indoors or outside in a locked structure. Compassionate caregivers can grow for up to five patients. Please keep in mind that Salinas applies its 5% cannabis tax on gross receipts, even if the provider is non-profit.

Taxes

For the first three years, the local cannabis tax is 5% of gross receipts, regardless if it’s a not-for-profit or for-profit dispensary. Then the tax will increase to 10%, putting the total adult-use tax at 29.25% (15% excise, 5% local and 9.25% state sales) and the total medical tax at 20% (15% excise tax plus 5% local).

City Contacts

City Hall

200 Lincoln Ave.

Salinas, CA 93901

(831) 758-7381

Napa County

Napa

Napa recently relaxed their ban ordinance to allow for small cannabis manufacturing, and medical cannabis dispensaries.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Yes, though only for medical purposes. The city allows both deliveries and dispensaries under a limited immunity ordinance. Find out more about specific operating standards here.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Cultivation is limited to six plants only, but can be outdoors in a private home garden area. Understand the remaining minimal cultivation restrictions starting on page 16.

City Contacts

City Hall

955 School St.

Napa, CA 94559

(707) 257-9500

Nevada County

Grass Valley

Medical Storefront: Yes

Recreational Storefront: Yes

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

Grass Valley doesn’t allow any commercial cannabis activity, but you can get delivery to any residential location in California due to the new regulations. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

City Contacts: 125 East Main St. Grass Valley, CA 95945

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Orange County

Aliso Viejo

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Both dispensaries and deliveries are prohibited.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Aliso Viejo requires a permit to grow your own personal cannabis on your own personal property. The restrictions are far from reasonable. Outdoor cultivation is prohibited and indoor cultivation is restricted to those 21 and over IF a resident can be approved to grow cannabis on their property. You can read the application here, and the rest of the regulations here.

City Contacts

City Hall

12 Journey # 100

Aliso Viejo, CA 92656

(949) 425-2500

Anaheim

The city of Anaheim has a complete ban on all commercial cannabis activity.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Both dispensaries and delivery services are expressly prohibited in Anaheim.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Anaheim’s code bans all marijuana cultivation to the fullest extent of the law, including all outdoor cultivation. The city does not have guidelines established for the indoor cultivation of the state-allowed six recreational cannabis plants. Therefore, state guidelines should be sufficient for personal cultivation, but check with the city first.

City Contacts

City Clerk

200 South Anaheim Blvd., 2nd Floor

Anaheim, CA 92805

(714) 765-5166

Buena Park

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No, all commercial adult-use and medical dispensaries are prohibited. Delivery originating in or terminating in the city is prohibited as well. You can read the terms of the current ban here.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Cultivation is restricted to inside a residence or accessory structure. Growers must be 21 and over and can grow only six plants. Other than that, there are no additional restrictions beyond state law. Know rules in detail here.

City Contacts

City Hall

6650 Beach Blvd.

P.O. Box 5009

Buena Park, CA 90622

(714) 562-3500

cityhall@buenapark.com

Costa Mesa

Looks like Costa Mesa will continue to prevent cultivation and dispensary operations at least until next December.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. All commercial retail activity remains banned.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Cultivation must be indoors, and only six plants are allowed. Growing more than six, even by qualified patients or caregivers, is strictly prohibited by Sec. 13-200.

Taxes

The businesses Costa Mesa does allow under Measure X are taxed at 6%. When the city does finally allow dispensaries, expect a 6% local tax on purchases as well.

City Contacts

City Hall

77 Fair Dr.

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

(714) 754-5000

Cypress

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

No, both adult-use and medical dispensaries are prohibited.

Can I Get Delivery?

Yes, but only for medical deliveries from dispensaries located outside of the city.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Personal cultivation is limited to six plants indoors only. Review the simple regulations on page 4.

City Contacts

City Hall

5275 Orange Ave.

Cypress, CA 90630

(714) 229-6700

Fountain Valley

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. Both are prohibited. A primary caregiver may bring cannabis to their qualified patient, but that’s it.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Non-medical cultivation is limited to no more than six plants indoors. Otherwise, the ordinance doesn’t have many specific restrictions. Medical cultivation is completely restricted.

City Contacts

City Hall

10200 Slater Ave.

Fountain Valley, CA 92708

(714) 593-4400

Fullerton

Try as they might, activist groups can’t convince Fullerton to lift their commercial cannabis ban. Instead, the city expanded their ban to include all commercial cannabis activity in November.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. All cannabis businesses, including deliveries, are banned.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The city has an exception for qualified patients in their ban ordinance that refers back to state law. However, adult-use cultivation isn’t addressed in this ordinance.

City Contacts

City Hall

303 W Commonwealth Ave.

Fullerton, CA 92832

(714) 738-6300

Garden Grove

There was hope that Garden Grove would eventually lift their ban, yet it hasn’t happened.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery Service?

No. Both dispensaries and delivery services are explicitly prohibited.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The city only allows six plants grown indoors, or in an accessory structure, no matter how many adults live on the parcel.

City Contacts

City Hall

11222 Acacia Pkwy

Garden Grove, CA 92840

(714) 741-5000

Huntington Beach

Huntington Beach is so strict in their cannabis prohibition that it even attempts to prohibit operation of Prop 215 compliant collectives with their ban ordinance.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

No.

Can I Get Delivery?

Nope.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The city has very clear cut rules for non-medical indoor cultivation in this document. Outdoor cultivation is strictly prohibited.

City Contacts

2000 Main St.

Huntington Beach, CA 92648

(714) 536-5511

Irvine

Irvine bans all commercial cannabis activity, except testing. That will be finally approved by the council in February.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Unfortunately not.

Can I Get Delivery?

No.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Irvine simply refers to state law so far.

City Contacts

manderson@cityofirvine.org

La Habra

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

The city still bans all cannabis dispensaries and deliveries.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

La Habra allows only 6 plants per residence no matter how many adults or medical patients live there. The plants must be grown indoors. You can read the rest of the minimal cultivation regulations here.

City Contacts

City Hall

110 E La Habra Blvd.

La Habra, CA 90631

(562) 383-4000

Laguna Niguel

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Whether adult-use or medical, both dispensaries and delivery services are banned.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The city only allows six plants indoors or in an accessory structure, no matter how many adults or qualified patients live there.

City Contacts

City Hall

30111 Crown Valley Pkwy.

Laguna Niguel, CA 92677

(949) 362-4300

Lake Forest

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Lake Forest bans all dispensaries and deliveries.

What are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Cultivation is limited to six plants, regardless of usage, and must be indoors or in a fully enclosed accessory structure. For some strange reason, carbon dioxide is prohibited in cultivation areas, even though it isn’t explosive or flammable (it’s commonly used in fire extinguishers). Find the rest of Lake Forest’s odd personal cultivation restrictions here.

City Contacts

City Hall

25550 Commercentre Dr.

Lake Forest, CA 92630

(949) 461-3400

Mission Viejo

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. Both are illegal, regardless of medical or recreational purposes.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

To the extent that a total ban’s prohibited by law, the city allows only six plants per residence, indoor only, for medical or recreational use. You can check out the growing regulations here.

City Contacts

200 Civic Center

Mission Viejo, CA 92691

(949) 470-3000

Newport Beach

Newport Beach passed their ban ordinance in 2015 and haven’t updated it since.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. All dispensaries and deliveries are prohibited.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The city bans cultivation, except where preempted from banning by federal or state law. Other than that, the city hasn’t passed any additional restrictions. Read their one page ordinance here.

City Contacts

City Hall

100 Civic Center Dr.

Newport Beach, CA 92660

(949) 644-3309

Orange

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No; all dispensaries and delivery services are banned.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Orange’s code strictly bans growing cannabis. “Cultivation of cannabis is prohibited. No person, including a qualified patient or primary caregiver, shall cultivate cannabis in the city.” This ordinance isn’t in line with current state laws allowing the indoor cultivation of six plants.

City Contacts

City Hall

300 E Chapman Ave.

Orange, CA 92866

(714) 744-2225

Activist Organizations

Orange County Norml

Placentia

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. All dispensaries and deliveries are prohibited.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

“Indoor cultivation of marijuana for personal use by persons twenty-one (21) years of age or older on the grounds of a private residence is permitted, but only to the extent allowed by state law (Health and Safety Code Section 11362.1, subdivision (c).) All outdoor cultivation of marijuana within the city is prohibited.” Collective cultivation is prohibited as well.

City Contacts

City Hall

401 E Chapman Ave.

Placentia, CA 92870

(714) 993-8117

Rancho Santa Margarita

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Dispensary?

Neither are available, regardless of medical or recreational use.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Personal cultivation is indoor only, limited to six plants and only residents 21 and over can grow. Other than that, regulations are minimal. You can review them in Section 9.05.140.

City Contacts

City Hall

22112 El Paseo

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688

(949) 635-1800

San Clemente

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. San Clemente prohibits adult-use and medicinal dispensaries and deliveries.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The city originally considered a permitting process for home cultivation, but then removed the requirement due to concerns it’d be forced to turn records over to other authorities. Instead, it requires that no more than six plants are grown indoors per residence with no dangerous chemicals. These restrictions are very similar to other districts. Read the rest of the rules here.

City Contacts

City Hall

100 Avenida Presidio # 3

San Clemente, CA 92672

(949) 361-8200

Santa Ana

Santa Ana was the first city in Orange county to allow commercial medical cannabis dispensaries. However, it doesn’t allow cultivation, manufacturing, processing, testing, distribution, or microbusinesses. A new ordinance must be proposed by the city council or the people through a ballot initiative before these other cannabis activities will be allowed.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Yes. Santa Ana adopted a new ordinance allowing the 30 existing medical dispensaries to sell adult-use as well.

Can I Get Delivery?

Delivery was expressly banned under Ordinance 2889. Yet this ordinance was outdated and changed in December, 2017. Now, any of the existing allowed 30 cannabis dispensaries are allowed to deliver as well.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

“Six plants per private residence may be cultivated indoors within a legally permitted structure for personal use in compliance with all applicable local and State regulations.”

Taxes

With the adoption of the new adult-use ordinance, the city raised the tax on all cannabis sold from 5% to 6%. Measure BB allows the council to establish tax rates as high as 10%.

Currently, the tax rate for adult-use should be 28.75% (15% excise, 7.75% state sales and 6% local selling tax) while the tax rate for medical should be 21% (15% excise tax and 6% local selling tax.)

City Contacts

Medicinal Commercial Cannabis Portal

CannabisCollectives@Santa-Ana.org

Tustin

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

No. All dispensaries are specifically banned under Part 5 Sec. 3152.

Can I Get Delivery?

No. Even Prop 215 compliant non-profits are banned.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Tustin refers to state law verbatim in their code. Six plants can be grown indoors or in a secure, locked space on a private residence that isn’t accessible to public view.

City Contacts

City Hall

300 Centennial Way

Tustin, CA 92780

(714) 573-3000

Westminster

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

“Commercial cannabis activity by any person, including primary caregivers, qualified patients and dispensaries, is prohibited in all zoning districts within the City of Westminster.”

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Other than prohibiting outdoor cultivation, Westminster doesn’t apply any more restrictions than are listed in Health and Safety Code Section 11362.2; so growing your six plants on your private property remains fairly hassle free. It’s best to call the city beforehand to ensure it hasn’t passed any new ordinances recently.

City Contacts

City Hall

8200 Westminster Blvd.

Westminster, CA 92683

(714) 898-3311

Placer County

Lincoln

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

All dispensaries and deliveries are prohibited. The only exception is that caregivers can deliver medical cannabis to their qualified patients.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Outdoor cultivation is prohibited and indoor is only allowed with a permit from the chief of police. Fortunately for medical patients, the permit is $50 for two years and not overly restrictive. But growers are limited to six plants regardless of use.

City Contacts

City Hall

600 6th St.

Lincoln, CA 95648

(916) 434-2400

Rocklin

The city prohibits commercial cannabis activity until this fall when it must adopt a permanent ordinance or else vote to keep the ban another year.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Nope. Rocklin bans cannabis dispensaries.

Can I Get Delivery?

Delivery in to the city isn’t expressly banned.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Rocklin refers to state law for now as the urgency ordinance doesn’t address personal cultivation, expect updated regulations in the near future so it’s smart to ask before you grow.

City Contacts

City Hall

3970 Rocklin Rd.

Rocklin, CA 95677

(916) 625-5000

Roseville

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

No. Both medical and recreational dispensaries are banned.

Can I Get Delivery?

Only non-commercial delivery from a caregiver to their qualified patient is allowed. All other deliveries are prohibited.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Outdoor cultivation isn’t allowed. For indoor cultivation, non-medical is restricted to six plants no matter how many adults live on the property. Personal medical cultivation is restricted to 50 square feet and no more than ten feet high. Patients or providers who need a larger area can cultivate up to 99 square feet with permission from the city. You can read additional personal and personal medical regulations here.

City Contacts

City Hall

311 Vernon St.

Roseville, CA 95678

Plumas County

Portola

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: Yes

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

Portola only allows commercial medical cannabis delivery. But recreational delivery is allowed everywhere in California now. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed recreational delivery service is located.

City Contacts: 94 Washington St. Sonora, CA, 95370 (209) 532-4541

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Riverside County

Cathedral City

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Yes, recreational and medical dispensaries and delivery services are available.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Plants can be grown outdoor, as long as they’re in a fully enclosed, secured location. Adult-use growers are limited to six plants, though qualified medical growers can have more with Health and Safety Code Section 11362.77. Review the rest of the cultivation regulations here.

Taxes

The city charges a ten percent tax on all cannabis sales. This makes the total tax for medical cannabis 25% (15% excise and 10% local) and the total tax for adult use cannabis 32.75% (15% excise, 10% local and 8.75% sales tax).

City Contacts

City Hall

68700 Ave Lalo Guerrero

Cathedral City, CA 92234

(760) 770-0340

Coachella

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No, Coachella allows cultivation and manufacturing, but bans both medical and recreational deliveries and dispensaries

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

So far there are no specific regulations to govern personal cultivation. In the meantime, check with state law to see if the city plans to add any new regulations before planting for personal use.

City Contacts

City Hall

1515 6th St.

Coachella, CA 92236

(760) 398-3502

Corona

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Absolutely not. Corona bans both dispensaries and delivery services of all types.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Corona hasn’t adopted any rules to regulate recreational or medical cannabis cultivation under Prop 64 yet.

City Contacts

City Hall

400 S. Vicentia Ave.

Corona, CA 92882

(951) 736-2201

Eastvale

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Sorry, no. Medical and recreational dispensaries and deliveries are not allowed.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Eastvale passed a personal cultivation ban in 2016. “Cultivation of cannabis for non-commercial purposes, including cultivation by a qualified patient or a primary caregiver, is expressly prohibited in all zones and all specific plan areas in the City of Eastvale. No person, including a qualified patient or primary caregiver, shall cultivate any amount of cannabis in the city, even for medical purposes.”

City Contacts

City Hall

12363 Limonite Ave., Suite 910

Eastvale, CA 91752

(951) 361-0900

Hemet

Hemet prohibits all cannabis activity to the fullest extent of the law. Read their recent ban ordinance with the pertinent details beginning on page 15.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

No. All cannabis dispensaries, whether medical or recreational, are prohibited.

Can I Get Delivery?

No. The city strictly forbids all cannabis deliveries.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Cultivation is strictly limited to six plants indoors or inside of a fully secured accessory structure.

City Contacts

City Hall

445 E Florida Ave.

Hemet, CA 92543

(951) 765-2300

Indio

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. Indio bans all possible commercial cannabis businesses.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The city prohibits all cultivation, even for qualified patients, and hasn’t updated their ordinance since the passage of Prop 64. Thus, state law will probably override Indio’ current cultivation rules. As always, it’s better to be safe than sorry and check with the city.

City Contacts

City Hall

100 Civic Center Mall

Indio, CA 92201

(760) 391-4000

Jurupa Valley

City manager Gary Thompson wrote a letter informing citizens that all twelve Jurupa Valley collectives are operating illegally; as a result he’s seeking cooperation from the federal government to enforce their shut down.

This is why it’s very important to VOTE in the upcoming June 2018 election. There’s a ballot initiative that can legalize the city’s commercial activity. Historically, when a city chooses to actively campaign against a voter initiative brought by their people (against state law), it has a 9 out of 10 chance of losing unless voters ensure its passage.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Technically, the city does not allow dispensaries until the June ballot initiative passes.

Can I Get Delivery?

Yes, as long as the adult-use or medical dispensary is state licensed.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Adult-use cultivation is limited to six plants per residence, indoor only. Medical cultivation is limited to 24 plants, no matter how many patients reside there. Outdoor cultivation is permitted if it’s fully enclosed by a six foot (or higher) fence. Three are other restrictions for cultivation that you can read here.

City Contacts

City Hall

8920 Limonite Ave.

Jurupa Valley, CA 92509

(951) 332-0790

Lake Elsinore

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Yes, but it’ll be a while. The ordinance allowing commercial cannabis activity was just adopted, so there’ll be no dispensaries a cultivation or manufacturing facility is first permitted.

Can I Get Delivery?

No.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Recreational cultivation regulations are covered in section T, while medical ones are found in section S. Outdoor growing is allowed if it’s completely blocked by a secure, locked fence. Properties larger than five acres are exempt from the fencing requirement. Medical cultivation is limited to 12 plants per patient for no more than 24 plants total. There are several other restrictions, including proof that cultivation is allowed on rentals.

Taxes

Rather than pursue a voter-approved tax plan, Lake Elsinore plans to negotiate fee agreements with approved cannabis businesses.

City Contacts

City Hall

130 S Main St.

Lake Elsinore, CA 92530

(951) 674-3124

Menifee

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Both dispensaries and deliveries in Menifee are illegal.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Cultivating six plants is restricted to adults 21 or older. “Marijuana plants may not be visible to the public, and must be kept in a secure, locked space within the individual’s private residence when not in use.”

City Contacts

City Hall

29714 Haun Rd.

Sun City, CA 92586

(951) 672-6777

Moreno Valley

Moreno Valley has now adopted their commercial cannabis ordinance. The city has closed its application process and should begin licensing new dispensaries within months. Under the new ordinance, both recreational and medical dispensaries are allowed in the city.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

All cultivation is to take place indoors, but the city has not established any severe restrictions on personal cultivation yet.

Taxes

A vote to establish local taxes is anticipated in November, 2018.

City Contacts

City Hall

14177 Frederick St.

Moreno Valley, CA 92553

(951) 413-3000

Murrieta

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

“Marijuana cultivation, marijuana processing, marijuana delivery and marijuana dispensaries shall be prohibited activities within the city of Murrieta, except where the city is preempted by federal or state law from enacting a prohibition on such activity.” You can read Murrieta’s municipal code here.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Murrieta is hands-off regarding cultivation as the city hasn’t established any “reasonable regulations.” Since it bans all cultivation that isn’t preempted by federal or state law, growing rules will fall back to the state’s general guidelines. But call before you start growing to make sure no new regulations have been passed.

City Contacts

City Hall

1 Town Sq.

Murrieta, CA 92562

(951) 304-2489

Palm Desert

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Yes! The city allows up to six retail cannabis outlets.

Can I Get Delivery?

Yup, you can get both recreational and medical. Delivery services located outside of Palm Desert need to first apply for a business license.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Cultivation is allowed outdoors or indoors, but only six plants can be grown outdoors and they must be enclosed by a block fence; any part visible beyond the top of the fence must be fully screened. The use of volatile, poisonous or toxic chemicals is prohibited. Read the fairly minimal guidelines in Section F.

Taxes

There isn’t a cannabis tax yet, but the city should vote on the issue soon. We’ll let you know when it’s established.

City Contacts

City Hall

73510 Fred Waring Dr.

Palm Desert, CA 92260

(760) 346-0611

Palm Springs

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Yes, you may purchase both adult-use and medical.

Can I Get Delivery?

Yes.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Palm Springs doesn’t have any listed restrictions for adult-use cultivation so far, so it’s best to call the city before beginning.

Taxes

All cannabis businesses are taxed at 10% of gross receipts.

City Contacts

City Hall

3200 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way

Palm Springs, CA 92262

(760) 323-8299

Perris

The city of Perris voted 77% to lift the ban on commercial medical marijuana activity and approved a tax rate of 10%. The city council is due to conduct their second reading of an ordinance to allow commercial manufacturing and distribution on Jan. 30th. Cultivation and testing are already allowed, but fees haven’t been established. The city is due to vote on the tax rate for these activities in November.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

So far, only medical commercial marijuana dispensaries are allowed in Perris. Green America became the first permitted medical marijuana dispensary in the Inland Empire last year, and the state has now issued four licenses to medical marijuana dispensaries in the city.

Can I Get Delivery?

Not yet, though dispensaries report that they’re actively pursuing this option so it’s only a matter of time.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The city doesn’t appear to have specific regulations for personal medical or adult-use cultivation. It’s still concentrating on creating commercial regulations, so personal grows should simply refer to state law.

If Perris code enforcement suspects a property is used for commercial cultivation without a license, the info is sent to the Riverside County sheriff, who provides the city’s police enforcement.

Taxes

Local tax in Perris is 10% on medical cannabis sales. This will make your total retail tax 25% (15% excise and 10% local. There is also a cultivation tax of $25 per square foot.

City Contacts

Perris City Hall

101 N. D St.

Perris, CA 92570

(951) 943-6100

City of Riverside

Riverside currently permits testing laboratories for adult-use and medical cannabis. All other commercial cannabis activities are banned until further review in September of this year.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Get Delivery?

Both dispensaries and delivery services are currently prohibited in the City of Riverside.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Technically, the city is attempting to restrict personal cannabis cultivation to indoor-only in residential zones RR, RE and R1.

It’s still attempting to ban personal cultivation in residential zones RC (residential conservation), RA-5 (residential agricultural), and zones R-3 and R-4, which allow multiple family housing units. Expect these ordinances to change, so it’s best to check with the city for current rules.

City Contacts

Riverside City Hall

3900 Main St.

Riverside, CA 92501

(951) 826-5991

San Jacinto

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No, both medical and adult-use dispensaries and deliveries are prohibited.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

San Jacinto requires a permit to cultivate on your property. The application process is extensive and a Live Scan will be required. The city can reject the application or revoke the permit should you have a felony drug conviction or any pending code enforcement issues, past dues or liens. Growing over six plants, including medical, will require a commercial cultivation permit costing up to $25 a square foot. You can read the personal requirements here and the commercial requirements here.

City Contacts

City Hall

595 S San Jacinto Ave.

San Jacinto, CA 92583

(951) 487-7330

Temecula

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

The city bans all commercial activity, yet provides an exception for qualified patients and primary caregivers to receive non-commercial deliveries.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

You can grow six plants indoors or in a fully enclosed accessory structure.

City Contacts

City Hall

41000 Main St.

Temecula, CA 92590

(951) 694-6444

Sacramento County

Citrus Heights

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. Both dispensaries and deliveries, whether adult-use or medical, are forbidden.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

All cultivation must be inside. Medical must be in a 50 square foot space and no more than 300 cubic feet (if inside a residence). If medical grows in an accessory structure, it’s limited to 100 square feet and no more than 600 cubic feet total.

View the rest of the relatively reasonable personal medical here. Adult-use cultivation is limited to six plants indoors, no matter how many adults live there, and governed by a separate section of their code here.

City Contacts

City Hall

6360 Fountain Square Dr.

Citrus Heights, CA 95621

(916) 725-2448

Elk Grove

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Nope. Elk Grove bans both dispensaries and delivery.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

It’s indoor only, yet the city insists growing over six plants violates the law, so it’s unlikely Elk Grove will support larger personal medical cultivation. See additional growing restrictions here.

City Contacts

8401 Laguna Palms Way

Elk Grove, CA 95758

(916) 691-2489

Folsom

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Folsom bans medical and adult-use dispensaries, including mobile deliveries.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Folsom doesn’t allow cannabis cultivation outdoors, yet their indoor restrictions are fairly mundane, with the exception that they seem to require a permit to grow indoors, but have no easy link to find the application. The city restricts the use of gases and limits the total lighting wattage to 1,200 watts. Find the specifics here.

City Contacts

City Hall

50 Natoma St.

Folsom, CA 95630

(916) 355-7200

Rancho Cordova

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. Both recreational and medical dispensaries and delivery services are prohibited.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Rancho Cordova only allows six plants per household, even if medical. Growing must be indoors, and there can’t be evidence of cultivation from public view. But, strangely, this is a moot point if the cultivator can’t afford the tax imposed on personal cultivation, which is extremely likely.

In 2010, a voter initiative passed imposing a personal cannabis cultivation tax of $600 per square foot each year for cultivation under 25 square feet, and $900 per square foot for over 25 square feet. Those still interested in cultivating can read the rest of the regulations here.

City Contacts

City Hall

2729 Prospect Park Dr.

Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

(916) 851-8700

City of Sacramento

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Yes, the city allows both recreational and medical sales, totaling 30 dispensaries.

Can I Get Delivery?

Yes, though some cannabis businesses will be given delivery-only licenses.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The city used to allow up to 400 square feet of indoor medical cultivation per residence. Now that residents can grow cannabis for recreational purposes, Sacramento has eliminated this rule and will only allow six plants per household (indoor only, detached building or main residence). There must also be a ventilation and filtration system installed and approved by the building official before cultivation can begin.

Taxes

There is a 4% gross receipts tax on all cannabis businesses in the city, including delivery and dispensary. On the dispensary and delivery side, total adult-use tax will be 27.25% for adult-use (15% excise, 4% local and 8.25% sales and use). Total tax with MMID will be 19%.

City Contacts

Office of Cannabis Policy and Enforcement

(916) 808-8955

cannabis@cityofsacramento.org

Revenue Division (application intake and questions related to online permit portal)

Ranelle Kawasaki: (916) 808-1251

San Benito County

San Juan Bautista

Medical Storefront: Yes

Recreational Storefront: Yes

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

San Juan Bautista doesn’t allow any commercial cannabis activity, but you can get delivery to any residential location in California due to the new regulations. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

City Contacts: 311 2nd St, San Juan Bautista, CA 95045 (831) 623-4661

Last Updated 3/8/2019

San Bernardino County

Apple Valley

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. Recreational and medical cannabis uses are prohibited, including delivery.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Apple Valley has a de facto ban personal cannabis regulation, despite state law. The code has some rather interesting circular language to this point.

“To the extent a complete prohibition on indoor cultivation is not permitted under California law, a person may not plant, cultivate, harvest, dry, or process marijuana plants inside a private residence, or inside an accessory structure to a private residence located upon the grounds of a private residence, unless the person is issued an indoor cultivation permit by the Planning Division…[which] will issue application and processing guidelines for the indoor cultivation permit. No indoor cultivation permit shall be issued prior to the release of these guidelines, and no permit shall be granted which has not complied fully with the application and processing requirements.”

We were unable to find any instructions for applying for one of these permits on the city.

City Contacts

City Hall

14955 Dale Evans Pkwy.

Apple Valley, CA 92307

(760) 240-7000

Colton

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Nope. Colton bans both medical and adult-use dispensaries and deliveries.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The city requires a permit to cultivate no more than six plants indoors, regardless of how many permit holders are present. Colton has many reasons why it reserves the right to reject cannabis cultivation permits, so this looks like a defacto ban.

City Contacts

City Hall

650 N La Cadena Dr.

Colton, CA 92324

(909) 370-5060

Chino

Chino adopted an ordinance in November 2017 enacting a full commercial ban. The local paper, The Chino Champion, is still running an online poll regarding the ordinance.

Currently, the option “Recreational use is legal in California and Chino should welcome it with open arms” leads the other five options by 43.9%. The next highest result is “Commercial cannabis sales will bring in extra revenue to the city and Chino should allow it for that reason” is leading by 27.2%. The city apparently enacted a full ban in spite of overwhelming support for legal access.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. Chino bans both dispensaries and deliveries, regardless of their purpose.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Cultivation is limited to inside or in an accessory structure, and no more than six plants at a time. Review additional growing restrictions starting on page 6.

City Contacts

City Hall

13220 Central Ave.

Chino, CA 91710

(909) 334-3250

Chino Hills

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

The city specifically bans both adult-use and medicinal dispensaries.

Can I Get Delivery?

Chino Hills doesn’t expressly say delivery is forbidden, but it bans all marijuana related activities in every zoning district.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Cultivation is restricted to six inside only. The city refers directly back to state law and outlaws any cultivation it isn’t prohibited from banning.

City Contacts

City Hall

14000 City Center Dr.

Chino Hills, CA 91709

(909) 364-2600

Fontana

It’s hard to know where to start. Their ordinance is so out of control and restrictive it seems designed to test the limits of local jurisdiction on the land use issue. What’s most interesting is the ordinance attempts to place the same excessive restrictions on personal medical cultivation that it does on recreational. This is probably where they made their largest mistake and why the ACLU and DPA chose their city as a target for lawsuit.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery Service?

No. All commercial activity is banned, including delivery.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Fontana regulates indoor marijuana cultivation like a level 4 biosafety lab. Not only must cultivation be completely indoors, but the cultivator must apply for a recreational indoor cultivation permit. This involves a thorough in-home city inspection that’ll be rejected if there’s any code violation–even an unrelated one–so you probably won’t get the permit.

It’s actually quite ironic that the city is arguing for control over their local land use ordinances while completely ignoring their residents’ right to grow in the privacy of their home for personal use.

It’s also quite amazing that the ordinance says the cultivation room must “not be used to store or have used within it any ‘explosive gases,’ including[…]carbon dioxide…”

City Contacts

City of Fontana: (909) 350-7600

City Clerk: (909) 350-7602

City Manager: (909) 350-7653

Activist Organizations

American Civil Liberties Union

Drug Policy Alliance

Hesperia

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

No. Neither medical nor recreational storefronts are allowed in Hesperia.

Can I Get Delivery?

Yes. Hesperia allows commercial medical delivery only.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Hesperia requires personal cultivators to register with the city and pay a $100 fee to grow it on their property, indoors only. If the cultivator isn’t also the property owner, he or she must provide notarized permission from the owner with the application. Read the rest of the restrictions here.

City Contacts

City Hall

9700 Seventh Ave.

Hesperia, CA 92345

(760) 947-1000

Highland

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Regrettably, recreational and medical dispensaries and deliveries are completely prohibited.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Residents 21 and over can grow six plants indoors. If you rent, keep the owner’s written consent to grow on his or her property; plus the San Bernardino Sheriff’s department must be allowed to inspect it. There are several restrictions cultivators must follow, including a prohibition on manufacturing concentrates.

City Contacts

City Hall

27215 Base Line St.

Highland, CA 92346

(909) 864-6861

Ontario

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. Ontario bans every type of cannabis use, including collectives and delivery services.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

All growers are limited to six plants indoors, whether medical or recreational. Also, “no artificial light, ventilation, heating, or air conditioning may be used in support of marijuana cultivation inside a private residence except in compliance with the California Building Code, the Ontario Municipal Code, and any other permitting requirements which may be imposed.”

That doesn’t mean these things can’t be used; it’s just standard to prevent unregulated modifications, so better check with the city. You can call code enforcement at (909) 395-2007 with questions. You can also check the California building codes here.

City Contacts

City Hall

303 East “B” St.

Ontario, CA 91764

City Hall Annex

415 East “B” St.

Ontario, CA 91764

(909) 395-2000

Rancho Cucamonga

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No, both medical and recreational are banned.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

You can grow six plants indoors or in an adjacent, fully enclosed, locked structure.

City Contacts

City Hall

10500 Civic Center Dr.

Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730

(909) 477-2700

Redlands

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. All commercial cannabis activities, including medical delivery, are banned.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Cultivation regulations refer to state law. All cultivation must be inside a private residence.

City Contacts

City Hall

35 Cajon St.

Redlands, CA 92373

(909) 798-7555

City of San Bernardino

The city is still battling the voter-approved Measure O in court. While it would allow a couple of dispensaries, the court has given a preliminary ruling ruling that it’s not enforceable, stating the ordinance is guilty of spot zoning.

In light of this, San Bernardino extended their ban for another 10 months and 15 days while it works on alternate proposed ordinances. It’s not likely the ban will last that long since the city has already developed preliminary regulations. Read them here.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery Service?

Not yet, although there are still some medical collectives operating under Prop 215.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Since the city isn’t finished developing their regulations, it’s best to call and ask first. We’ll update as soon as they are finished.

City Contacts

Stephanie Sanchez

Sanchez_Stephanie@SBCity.org

(909) 384-7272 ext. 3343

Rialto

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. Recreational and medical cannabis dispensaries and deliveries are banned.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The city’s code doesn’t address personal cultivation, but this could change. It’s best to call if you have any questions.

City Contacts

City Hall

150 S. Palm Ave.

Rialto, CA 92376

(909) 820-2525

Upland

Lead by the California Cannabis Coalition, the city spent over $4.5 million battling voter-backed initiative, Measure U. Upland took the battle to the Supreme Court, where it lost as the court ruled the city should’ve put the measure on the ballot. Despite the victory, Measure U was defeated at the polls. Now under a new one, Measure E, the city can ban all the cannabis activity it wants.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The city is not allowed, per state law, to prevent residents from cultivating up to six plants inside a private residence. But personal growers should proceed with caution, considering Upland was willing to spend nearly $5 million to lose a Supreme Court case and fight a dispensary for a return of a mere $100,000 in fines. Examine the city’s municipal code here.

City Contacts

City Hall

460 N Euclid Ave.

Upland, CA 91786

(909) 931-4100

Victorville

Can I Purchase From a Dispensary?

No. The city doesn’t allow medical or recreational dispensaries.

Can I Get Delivery?

Yes. Victorville permits MMJ delivery, though only from outside the city with a valid state license. It does not allow adult-use deliveries.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Residents are limited to six indoor plants or less, no matter how many adults live there. You can view the specific regulations here.

City Contacts

City Hall

14343 Civic Dr.

Victorville, CA 92392

(760) 955-5000

Yucaipa

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. Recreational and medical dispensaries and deliveries are prohibited.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

“The planting, cultivation, harvesting, drying, curing, grading, trimming or processing of no more than six marijuana plants consistent with Section 11362.1 et seq., of the Health and Safety Code shall not be considered commercial marijuana activity provided it meets the following requirements: it can’t occur outdoors and may only occur at a private residence, or inside a “fully enclosed and secure accessory structure” located upon the grounds of a private residence.”

City Contacts

City Hall

34272 Yucaipa Blvd.

Yucaipa, CA 92399

(909) 797-2489

San Diego County

Carlsbad

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Whether for medical or recreational purposes, both deliveries and dispensaries are banned in Carlsbad. Non-commercial medical collectives aren’t specifically banned.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Cultivation is indoor only and limited to six plants. You can read the short ordinance here.

City Contacts

City Hall

1200 Carlsbad Village Dr.

Carlsbad, CA 92008

(760) 434-2820

Chula Vista

Chula Vista has an amazing info page with resources on cannabis legalization. It’s also held workshops to determine their Prop 64 approach; but, unfortunately, it hasn’t opened the city for business. It’s upped the ante for enforcement by adding criminal penalties to code violations and increased fines. Currently there are no medical or recreational dispensaries nor cultivation permits allowed.

Just a few days ago, Chula Vista delayed a vote on an ordinance that would legalize recreational marijuana sales. The city’s making a few changes to the ordinance and will bring it back to a vote during the last week of February. However, even if the ordinance is approved, it won’t go into effect until voters approve a June tax measure. Even then, the first licenses won’t be issued till Jan, 2019. We’ll keep you updated.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. Both medical and recreational dispensaries are banned.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The city refers back to Business and Professions Code 19319, which states personal cultivation doesn’t need a license and caregivers can cultivate for up to five people without a license, as long as it doesn’t receive remuneration beyond basic expenses of cultivation. There are no further regulations regarding indoor/outdoor or the number of plants that can be grown per person.

Taxes

No taxes have been established yet, but there will be an public vote on the issue in June.

City Contacts

Office of the City Manager

276 Fourth Ave.

Chula Vista, CA 91910

Phone: (619) 691-5031

Fax: (619) 409-5884

El Cajon

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. All dispensaries and deliveries are expressly prohibited.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

All cultivation must be indoors and limited to six plants per occupied residence. Use of gas products or ozone generators is prohibited. Become familiar with specific cultivation rules here.

City Contacts

City Hall

200 Civic Center Way

El Cajon, CA 92020

(619) 441-1788

Encinitas

Encinitas will vote to allow cannabis activities in the November election. In the meantime, it has a total ban.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

No. Dispensaries are specifically banned.

Can I Get Delivery?

“Delivery, or engaging in any action in furtherance of that purpose, shall be prohibited; provided, however, that this section shall not apply to (i) a primary caregiver delivering medical marijuana for the personal medical purposes of that primary caregiver’s qualified patient or (ii) qualified patients transporting medical marijuana for personal use only.”

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The city bans outdoor cultivation; other than that, there are no additional regulations so refer to state law. It’s a good idea to check before you grow since the city’s codes are still in development.

City Contacts

City Hall

505 S Vulcan Ave.

Encinitas, CA 92024

(760) 633-2710

Escondido

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Unfortunately not. All cannabis activity is banned in the city, including compassionate collectives.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

According to Escondido’s code, “Cultivation of cannabis for non-commercial purposes, including cultivation by a qualified patient or a primary caregiver, is expressly prohibited in all zones and all specific plan areas in the City of Escondido. It is unlawful for any person, including a qualified patient or primary caregiver, to cultivate any amount of cannabis in the city, even for medical purposes.”

Since the code is not, and has not been, legal according to state law, it’ll probably change sometime this year.

City Contacts

City Hall

201 N. Broadway

Escondido, CA 92025

(760) 839-4880

La Mesa

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

La Mesa only allows medical dispensaries and medical delivery under Measure U, so keep or get your cannabis recommendation/ID card.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

“A qualified patient or a personal caregiver may cultivate up to eight marijuana plants for personal use. Personal use cultivation must conform to state law and local codes, including, but not limited to, nuisance codes, building codes, electrical codes and waste disposal codes. Personal use cultivation may also be further restricted, or disallowed, by a building’s owner, management or governing housing association.” Recreational cultivation is limited to six plants.

City Contacts

City Hall

8130 Allison Ave.

La Mesa, CA 91942

(619) 463-6611

National City

In February city representatives joined a forum to learn about the possible impacts of regulating the cannabis market instead of banning it. This marks significant progress considering the city voted to ban all commercial cannabis before the November 2016 election.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

“The licensing and/or operation of marijuana cultivation facilities, marijuana product manufacturing facilities, marijuana testing facilities, marijuana delivery businesses, marijuana storage facilities, retail marijuana stores, marijuana establishments, or any commercial marijuana activity is prohibited.”

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Outdoor cultivation remains illegal; cultivation of more than six plants, even for medical purposes, is also prohibited. Check out the rest of the minor regulations here.

City Contacts

City Hall

1243 National City Blvd.

National City, CA 91950

(619) 928-5035

Poway

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

No, all types of dispensaries are banned.

Can I Get Delivery?

No, both medical and adult use deliveries are banned.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Outdoor cultivation is prohibited. Other than that, indoor cultivation regulations aren’t overly detailed or restrictive. You can read them here.

City Contacts

City Hall

13325 Civic Center Dr.

Poway, CA 92064

(858) 668-4400

San Marcos

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. All commercial dispensaries and delivery services are prohibited, regardless of medical or adult purposes.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Personal cultivation is limited to six plants no matter how many adults reside at the property, and must be indoor. You can read the rest of the cultivation restrictions here.

City Contacts

City Hall

1 Civic Center Dr.

San Marcos, CA 92069

(760) 744-1050

Santee

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No way. All cannabis activities are expressly prohibited.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

All cultivation is limited to six plants inside a residence or accessory structure.

City Contacts

City Hall

10601 Magnolia Ave.

Santee, CA 92071

(619) 258-4100

Vista

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No, both are banned. However, there’s a limited exception made for caregivers delivering to their patients under Prop 215 regulations.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The city of Vista hasn’t addressed personal cultivation in their municipal code, so rules will fall back to state law. Nonetheless, these rules can change on short notice, so it’s best to check with the city first.

City Contacts

City Hall

200 Civic Center Dr.

Vista, CA 92084

(760) 639-6125

San Joaquin County

Lodi

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

All deliveries and dispensaries are banned, including clinics, cooperatives and collectives.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Outdoor cannabis cultivation is prohibited. Indoor growth can’t be apparent from public view and refers to state law for medical and recreational cultivation. View the minimal regulations here.

City Contacts

City Hall

221 W Pine St.

Lodi, CA 95240

(209) 333-6800

Manteca

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

No. Dispensaries of medical and adult use cannabis are prohibited.

Can I Get Delivery?

No. Delivery of recreational and medical marijuana products are expressly prohibited.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Personal cultivation is limited to no more than six plants indoors, or in an accessory greenhouse. The growing area can’t exceed 50 square feet or extend over ten feet high. There’s a short list of additional cultivation code restrictions here.

City Contacts

City Hall

1001 W Center St.

Manteca, CA 95337

(209) 239-8400

Stockton

Stockton only allows commercial medical cannabis activities; adult-use dispensaries are prohibited. The city is still in the process of developing its ordinances, so changes are expected soon.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Yes. Stockton currently has two state licensed medical cannabis dispensaries.

Can I Get Delivery?

Delivery of cannabis is expressly prohibited in the city.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Stockton hasn’t passed any personal cultivation regulations yet.

Taxes

Current tax rates are set at 5%. The city council sets the ordinance by resolution. With the 15% excise tax, this will make total taxes on the retail side 20%.

City Contacts

City Hall

425 N. El Dorado St.

Stockton, CA 95202

Phone: (209) 937-8459

Fax: (209) 937-8447

Tracy

For now, all cannabis activity is banned under a temporary moratorium, but Tracy has been mulling over possible regulations. The moratorium has a sunset clause for the end of the year and will be automatically repealed then, unless it’s replaced.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. Tracy bans all dispensaries and delivery services.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The current code goes so far as to ban all cultivation. But since the city technically can’t ban the cultivation of six plants indoors, it’s only necessary to keep cultivation indoors and compliant with minimum state regulations. Expect ordinance changes soon.

City Contacts

City Hall

333 Civic Center Plz.

Tracy, CA 95376

(209) 831-6000

San Luis Obispo County

San Luis Obispo

The city has a current ordinance meant to “maintain their status quo” while it explores commercial cannabis options with their community. Check out the regulation suggestions the city’s considering here.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. Both dispensaries and deliveries are prohibited for now. Expect possible changes in the future.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

You can grow outdoors, but only a maximum of six plants. Regulations for indoor cultivation simply refer to state law, so the rules aren’t overly restrictive. Examine the minimal cultivation regulations here.

City Contacts

City Hall

990 Palm St.

San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

(805) 781-7119

San Mateo County

Daly City

Daly city has an interesting prohibition against smoking cannabis in multi-unit buildings. Likely it’s had complaints in the past.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

For now, commercial cannabis facilities of all types, including dispensaries, are banned.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The city doesn’t address personal cultivation in their code, so it’s best to call first and ask if you have any doubts. The ordinances are expected to change this year.

City Contacts

333 90th St.

Daly City, CA 94015

(650) 991-8000

Redwood City

Redwood City is approaching legalization in phases. Eventually, full retail activity will be allowed in the city.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Not yet.

Can I Get Delivery?

Yes. The city allows delivery of both adult-use and medical cannabis.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Growing is limited to six plants, indoor only. Outdoor cultivation is strictly outlawed. If you want to learn more about the city and its progress toward full legalization here.

City Contacts

City Hall

1017 Middlefield Rd.

Redwood City, CA 94063

(650) 780-7000

San Mateo

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

The city currently bans all commercial activity, although it’s likely allow cultivation soon. However, it does allow licensed, Prop 215 compliant collectives to operate; delivery too.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Adult-use cultivation is limited to six plants and must be indoor. Those who wish to collectively cultivate more for medical use must apply for a city license.

City Contacts

330 W 20th Ave.

San Mateo, CA 94403

(650) 522-7000

San Francisco County

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

All cannabis retail is banned, regardless of its purpose.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Outdoor cultivation is forbidden. Other than that, there are no additional prohibitions, so refer to state law and check with the city beforehand to ensure a new ordinance hasn’t passed.

City Contacts

City Hall

400 Grand Ave.

South San Francisco, CA 94080

(650) 877-8504

Santa Barbara County

Lompoc

Lompoc developed a cannabis-friendly ordinance late last year, but it was put on hold while a group of citizens challenged it with a referendum. But the referendum failed to qualify and the ordinance has now been fully enacted.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Yes, both adult-use and medical dispensaries and deliveries are permitted.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The city simply refers back to state law for personal cultivation, so it’s okay to grow your six plants in a fully enclosed, locked outdoor area or indoors, as long as you’re compliant with state regulations.

City Contacts

City Hall

100 Civic Center Plaza

Lompoc, CA 93436

(805) 736-1261

City of Santa Barbara

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Yes, both adult use and medical dispensaries are allowed in the city, and delivery services are allowed as well.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Cultivation outdoors is allowed at a single family residence; other types of residences can cultivate their six plants indoors, as long as they’re secured. Learn about the rest of the minimal regulations here.

City Contacts

City Hall

735 Anacapa St.

Santa Barbara, CA 93101

(805) 963-0611

Santa Maria

Santa Maria is in the process of banning everything but limited deliveries to qualified patients/caregivers that originate outside of the city. The final vote should take place sometime in March. Check out the ban ordinance here.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Nope.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Under the new ordinance you’ll only be able to grow six plants indoors or in an accessory structure.

City Contacts

110 E, Cook St.

Santa Maria, CA 93454

(805) 925-0951

Santa Clara County

Cupertino

On December 19, 2017 Cupertino voted to ban all cannabis activity, except limited medical deliveries and limited cultivation of six plants. Why? Because “states with legalized recreational marijuana have seen a rise in DUI arrests, emergency room visits and traffic fatalities, as well as an increase in marijuana use among young people.”

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Both medical and adult-use dispensaries are banned in the city.

Can I Get Delivery?

Yes. Cupertino allows MMJ delivery, but it must originate from a state-licensed facility located outside the city.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Cultivation is limited to indoors only, and no more than six plants in 36 square feet, no matter how many adults live at the house. There are several other requirements that you can review here.

City Contacts

City Hall

10300 Torre Ave.

Cupertino, CA 95014

(408) 777-3200

Gilroy

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Sorry, all recreational and medicinal shops are expressly prohibited.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Indoor cultivation of six marijuana plants or less is permitted within a single private residence or inside an accessory structure located at the residence. It must be compliant with the limits and requirements established under California Health and Safety Code Sections 11362.1, 11362.2, 11362.3, 11362.4 and 11362.45 plus any other applicable state laws. Growing outdoors of a private residence is prohibited in accordance with California Health and Safety Code Section 11362.2(b)(3).

City Contacts

City Hall

7351 Rosanna St.

Gilroy, CA 95020

(408) 846-0400

Milpitas

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

No. Dispensaries and deliveries are banned, including non-profit compassion programs.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Only adults 21 and up can grow six plants only inside their residence. Milpitas reserves the right to add more restrictions later, but for now state law guides indoor cultivation. Find the minimal indoor cultivation requirements in “Prohibited Uses” section.

City Contacts

455 E Calaveras Blvd.

Milpitas, CA 95035

(408) 586-3000

Mountain View

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No, Mountain View currently outlaws all types of cannabis sales. However, it’s developing a commercial cannabis ordinance schedule to be ready by the end of the year.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Individuals may grow up to six plants for personal use either indoors or outdoors.

City Contacts

Planning Division

Clarissa Burke

(650) 903-6306

clarissa.burke@moutainview.gov

Palo Alto

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

No. Dispensaries are banned.

Can I Get Delivery?

Yes. Palo Alto specifically allows deliveries, but they’ll have to originate from outside the city because of the ban.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Outdoor cultivation was prohibited, but the ordinance had a sunset clause that’s since passed. Palo Alto defaults to state regulations allowing outdoor cultivation in a closed, locked structure.

Taxes

Since deliveries must originate outside the city, the tax rate will depend on the area you order from.

City Contacts

City Hall

250 Hamilton Ave.

Palo Alto, CA 94301

(650) 329-2100

San Jose

San Jose isn’t taking any applications for new commercial cannabis operations. But, it does already have 16 medical dispensaries in town that are authorized (by the city at least), to sell adult-use.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Definitely. In fact, San Jose is being so helpful that it’s even provided a public list of approved dispensaries that you can order from. There are only six dispensaries so far that have been authorized to deliver, but there are several more brick and mortar stores. BUT, you can’t get commercial cannabis if you’re 21, even if you are a medical patient.

Their rule is similar to the prohibition on patients under 21 in Santa Ana.

6.88.212.5 – Delivery.

“Delivery” means the transporting and transfer of cannabis from the location of the collective or cannabis business to a medical cannabis patient or primary caregiver, or to another person age twenty-one (21) or older, located at another property, location, or premises.

Additionally, it states clearly on their city website that no one under the age of 21 can enter a dispensary at all, whether medical or recreational. “No person under the age of 21 shall be allowed at the location. The collective or cannabis business shall verify the age of every person entering the premises with an electronic age verification device (6.88.440.F);

And, their code instructs that “no medical cannabis transfers shall be made by a collective to a person under the age of 21 (6.88.440.G.)”

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

San Jose requires all personal grows to be indoors. Your six plants can be cultivated inside or in a secure accessory building on the same property where you live (you’ll also need permission from your landlord if you rent). The city prohibits using CO2 in growing and in extraction methods that use CO2, propane, butane or other volatile chemicals.

Taxes

All marijuana businesses are taxed locally at a rate of 10% of gross receipts. Adult sales have a total retail tax of 34.25% while medical retail sales are taxed at 25%.

You’ll only notice the prices going up 15% for the excise tax because the city has had their cannabis taxes in place since 2015. Some shops with an M license may offer discounts for patients with only a doctor’s recommendation, though no state MMID.

Remember, it’s just a voluntary discount if there’s no MMID attached to the sale. They’re still responsible for covering the state sales tax difference, so don’t expect the discount to remain in effect for long.

City Contacts

San Jose City Hall

200 E. Santa Clara St.

San Jose, CA 95113

(408) 535-3500

Last Updated August 2018

City of Santa Clara

The city council voted last November to place a temporary moratorium on all commercial cannabis activity.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No, but the city’s moratorium ends in 2019 unless another restrictive ordinance is enacted.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Cultivation is indoor only and for six plants per household. The city has fairly restrictive regulations for lighting, ventilation, and living areas. You can read the rest of the regulations here.

City Contacts

1500 Warburton Ave.

Santa Clara, CA 95050

(408) 615-2200

Sunnyvale

Sunnyvale’s citizens voted 59% in favor of Prop 64. So, naturally, the city leaders banned every conceivable cannabis activity allowed by state law.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. You’ll need to leave the city to purchase cannabis.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Sunnyvale has very specific regulations: all residents are limited to six plants, indoor only.

City Contacts

City Hall

456 W Olive Ave.

Sunnyvale, CA 94086

(408) 730-7500

Santa Cruz County

City of Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz may win the award for most accommodating city government in the state. Not only are their laws fairly reasonable, but it even created a handy flowchart to explain their regulations in the simplest way possible.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Yes, for both adult-use and medical.

Can I Get Delivery?

Yes to both.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

You can grow six plants per residence either indoors or outdoors. The city’s removed their ordinances for personal medical cultivation, so those who wish to grow more than six for medicinal reasons should check with the city for instructions.

Taxes

All retail outlets are currently required to pay 7% of gross receipts. This’ll set the total retail tax for adult-use at 30.5% (15% excise, 7% local and 8.5% state sales tax). Total medical retail tax will be 22% (15% excise and 7% local).

City Contacts

City Hall

809 Center St.

Santa Cruz, CA 95060

(831) 420-5030

Watsonville

Watsonville is still working on their cannabis regulations, so it may take until 2019 before the city has all of them hammered out.

City Contacts

City Hall

275 Main St., Suite 400

Watsonville, CA 95076

(831) 768-3010

Shasta County

Redding

Redding hasn’t completed the entire process to enact their proposed commercial cannabis ordinance, but it was approved for first reading on March 6. Review the complete proposed ordinance here.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

The proposed ordinance would allow both adult-use and medicinal cannabis delivery and storefront dispensaries.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Outdoor cultivation is prohibited. Residents will be required to apply for an application to cultivate the state-allowed six plants indoor on their property. A fee will be required, but the council has yet to established the amount. Check out the remainder of the proposed cultivation restrictions starting at Section 6.12.030.

City Contacts

City Hall

777 Cypress Ave.

(530) 225-4002

Sierra County

Loyalton

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

There is no place in Sierra County that allows commercial cannabis activity, but you can get delivery to any residential location in California due to the new regulations. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

City Contacts: 605 School St. Loyalton Ca. 96118 530-993-6750

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Siskiyou County

Dunsmuir

Medical Storefront: Yes

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: Yes

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

Dunsmuir only allows medical cannabis activity, but you can get recreational delivery to any residential location in California due to the new regulations. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

City Contacts: 5915 Dunsmuir Ave, Dunsmuir, CA 96025 (530) 235-4822

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Solano County

Fairfield

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. Both medical and recreational cannabis dispensaries and deliveries remain illegal.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The city imposes “seven reasonable regulations” which you can review on page 11. Outdoor cultivation is prohibited and indoor cultivation is limited to six plants in the residence or in an accessory structure.

City Contacts

City Hall

1000 Webster St.

Fairfield, CA 94533

(707) 428-7394

Vacaville

The city currently has a moratorium on all cannabis activity, but it plans to have an ordinance ready to present to the people this spring, 2018.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

For now, the city blanket bans every cannabis activity, including delivery. Read the language here.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The city hasn’t addressed Prop 64, which is why it needs to have its updated ordinance ready soon. Meanwhile, cultivation rules fall back to state law.

City Contacts

City Hall

650 Merchant Street

Vacaville, CA 95688

(707) 449-5100

Vallejo

Vallejo still has an ad hoc committee working on how to proceed with adult-use businesses. However, it’s already adopted emergency ordinances to allow commercial medical businesses.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Yes, but only medical for now.

Can I Get Delivery?

No. The city’s current ordinance forbids marijuana transactions that take place outside dispensaries. The relevant regulation is on page 6. This may change in the near future as Vallejo’s committee explores additional options.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Vallejo is still putting its ordinances together, so check with the city before beginning personal cultivation.

Taxes

Vallejo has a marijuana business tax of 10% of gross receipts. This will put total tax for medical cannabis at 25% (15% excise tax and 10% local).

City Contacts

Joanna Altman

Assistant to the City Manager

Joanna.Altman@CityofVallejo.net

(707) 648-4362

Sonoma County

Petaluma

Petaluma allows testing, manufacturing and delivery-only retailers.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

No, all dispensaries are banned.

Can I Get Delivery?

Yes. Up to two delivery-only businesses are allowed for both recreational and medical use. The city also allows MMJ delivery from primary caregivers outside the city to their patients.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Outside cultivation remains legal, as long as it’s in a fully enclosed and secure structure. It can also be combined with indoor cultivation, “such that the total number of living cannabis plants at the private residence, including indoor and outdoor cultivation, does not exceed a total of six living cannabis plants.” Indoor growing has additional lighting and electrical restrictions found here.

City Contacts

City Hall

11 English St.

Petaluma, CA 94952

(707) 778-4345

Rohnert Park

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. All deliveries and dispensaries are prohibited.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Rohnert Park requires all cannabis to be grown indoors and limits cultivators to six plants, regardless of usage. Cultivation cannot occur in an accessory structure or greenhouse. Up to 100 square feet and 1,200 watts can be used. A few other restrictions can be found here.

City Contacts

City Hall

130 Avram Ave.

Rohnert Park, CA 94928

(707) 588-2226

Santa Rosa

On December 19, 2017 the city of Santa Rosa voted to allow all commercial cannabis.

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Yes, both adult and medical.

Can I Get Delivery?

Yes, both adult and medical.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The city limits cultivation to six plants only grown indoors, whether medical or recreational. It does allow two plants to be grown outdoor instead of six indoor, but the plants must be locked and hidden from public view. Outdoor cultivation cannot be adjacent to a public school. Find more information on page 22.

Taxes

The city charges an additional 3% for adult-use, but does not charge extra tax for medical sales. This will put total adult-use tax at 26.625% (15% excise, 3% local and 8.625% state sales) and total medical tax at only 15% (the state excise tax). Santa Rosa cannabis customers with an MMID have one of the lowest cannabis tax rates in the state.

City Contacts

Andrew Trippel, Permits

(707) 543-3223

Clare Hartman, Comprehensive Cannabis Policy

(707) 543-3185

David Guhin, Cannabis Tax

(707) 543-4299

Stanislaus County

Modesto

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Yes, from both recreational and medical dispensaries.

Can I Get Delivery?

No. Oddly, the city has decided to allow up to 10 dispensaries but no deliveries, even for medical use.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The city limits personal cultivation to six plants per residence, indoor only, no matter how many adults or qualified patients live there.

Taxes

Modesto has a 10% local cannabis tax on gross receipts across the board, whether medical or recreational. That’ll make the total recreational tax 32.875% (15% excise, 10% local and 7.875% local sales) and total medical tax 25% (15% excise and 10% local).

City Contacts

City Clerk’s Office

Physical Address:

1010 10th St.

Modesto, CA 95354

Mailing Address:

P.O. Box 642

Modesto, CA 95353

Phone: (209) 577-5396

Fax: (209) 571-5152

Turlock

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

No. All commercial cannabis operations are prohibited in the city. Deliveries originating from or ending in Turlock are also prohibited.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Turlock doesn’t have any ordinances listed for personal cultivation, although it’s considering several options. So, for now, it reverts to state law. It’s a good idea to periodically check with the city to see if it’s adopted an ordinance.

City Contacts

City Hall

156 S Broadway

Turlock, CA 95380

(209) 668-5540

Sutter County

Live Oak

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

All cities and unincorporated areas completely ban commercial cannabis, but thanks to the new state regulations, cannabis can be delivered to any residential address in the state. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

City Contacts: 9955 Live Oak Boulevard Live Oak, CA 95953 (530) 695-2112

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Tehama County

Corning

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

Corning doesn’t allow any commercial cannabis activity, but you can get delivery to any residential location in California due to the new regulations. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

City Contacts: 794 Third St. Corning, CA 96021 (530) 824-7033

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Trinity County

Medical Storefront: No

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

Trinity County bans all commercial cannabis activity, but you can get recreational delivery to any residential location in California due to the new regulations. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

County Contacts: 11 Court St, Weaverville, CA 96093 (530) 623-1217

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Tulare County

Porterville

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Nope. All cannabis shops and delivery services are prohibited.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The permitted six plants can grow indoors or outdoors in a fully secured, locked location that’s not publicly visible.

City Contacts

City Hall

291 N Main St.

Porterville, CA 93257

(559) 782-7499

Tulare

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Yes! The two existing medical dispensaries were grandfathered in, but all other adult-use and medical cannabis businesses are illegal.

Can I Get Delivery?

Medical delivery is allowed, so it’s a good idea to hang on to your recommendation.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Outdoor cultivation is prohibited. Indoor cultivation must comply with a few simple regulations. Unfortunately, Tulare also requires registering with the police to grow.

City Contacts

City Hall

411 E Kern Ave.

Tulare, CA 93274

(559) 685-2300

Visalia

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Both medical and adult-use dispensaries and delivery services are illegal.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Personal medical cultivation is limited to 12 plants total per indoor parcel. Their ordinance doesn’t refer to adult-use growing.

City Contacts

The City of Visalia

707 W. Acequia Ave.

Visalia, CA 93291

Phone: (559) 713-4300

Fax: (559) 713-4800

City Government Office

220 N Santa Fe St.mo

Visalia, Ca 93292

(559) 713-4512

Tuolumne County

Sonora

Medical Storefront: Yes

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: Yes

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

Sonora only allows medical commercial cannabis activity, but you can get recreational delivery to any residential location in California due to the new regulations. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed delivery service is located.

City Contacts: 94 Washington St. Sonora, CA, 95370 (209) 532-4541

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Ventura County

Camarillo

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

No. The city bans both medical and recreational dispensaries.

Can I Get Delivery?

Yes, but only medicinal cannabis. Specifically, “deliveries of medical cannabis by a caregiver to a qualified patient subject to the following requirements: (1) Deliveries are only permitted to occur from the hours of 7:00 am to 8:00 pm; (2) the delivery must be in an unmarked vehicle; and (3) deliveries are only permitted to a private residence.”

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Outdoor cultivation isn’t allowed, and growing indoors is restricted to “no more than six plants inside a private residence (or in a secured residential accessory structure) subject to three requirements: (a) written consent of Property Owner; (b) compliance with Building Code; and (c) no gas products (CO2, butane, etc.)”

City Contacts

City Hall

601 Carmen Dr.

Camarillo, CA 93010

(805) 388-5300

Additionally, contact City Attorney Brian Pierik with any questions regarding the City Ordinance at 805-388-5308.

Simi Valley

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Medical and adult-use dispensaries are prohibited in Simi Valley.

Can I Get Delivery?

Unfortunately, all deliveries are illegal too.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Outdoor cultivation is also prohibited. There aren’t specific regulations for indoor cultivation just yet.

City Contacts

City Hall

2929 Tapo Canyon Rd

Simi Valley, CA 93063

(805) 583-6700

Activist Organization

Simi Valley Medical Marijuana Alliance

Thousand Oaks

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Thousand Oaks allows only one medical dispensary and one testing laboratory.

Can I Get Delivery?

Strangely, the city forbids outside deliveries into the city as well, so it’s established a monopoly on their one legal dispensary.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

A maximum of six plants can be grown in a secured, locked location, either indoors or outside, and can’t be publicly visible. You can read the additional cultivation regulations on page 33.

Taxes

The city will vote in November 2018 to establish the tax rate for Thousand Oak’s single dispensary and testing lab.

City Contacts

City Hall

2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd.

Thousand Oaks, CA 91362

(805) 449-2400

Ventura

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

No, all cannabis purchases are prohibited.

Can I Get Delivery?

Yes. Ventura allows limited medical cannabis delivery from services located outside the city.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The city refers back to state law and Health and Safety Code Section 11362.777 for medical cultivation. Recreational growth is limited to six plants, no matter how many adults live at the residence. Plants may be grown in a greenhouse, but must be fully enclosed; otherwise, outdoor cultivation is illegal. Read the rest of the regulations here.

City Contacts

501 Poli St.

Ventura, CA 93001

(805) 654-7800

Yolo County

Davis

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Yes. The city allows both adult-use and medical dispensaries.

Can I Get Delivery?

Yes, but if the delivery company originates outside the city, it must apply for a delivery permit with Davis and pay a non-refundable fee.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Cannabis can be grown indoors or outdoors. If the cultivator isn’t a medical patient or caregiver, the total number of plants, indoor and outdoor combined, can’t exceed six. If the cultivator is a primary caregiver or patient, then the total number of outdoor plants can’t exceed six; the rest of the plants have to be grown indoors. Other than that, there are a few rules seen here.

Taxes

Davis requires a 10% tax on gross receipts for all cannabis businesses. This will make the total adult use tax 33.25% (15% excise, 10% local, 8.25% sales tax) and the total medical use tax 25% (15% excise and 10% local).

City Contacts

City Hall

23 Russell Blvd.

Davis, CA 95616

(530) 757-5602

West Sacramento

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

No. Both medical and adult-use dispensaries are prohibited.

Can I Get Delivery?

Yes. Medicinal and non-medicinal cannabis deliveries are allowed by state-licensed dispensaries, retailers, microbusinesses or nonprofits if they originate outside of the city.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Outdoor cultivation is illegal. “Indoor cultivation of cannabis shall only be conducted within a detached, fully enclosed and secure structure or within a residential structure conforming to the following minimum standards.”

City Contacts

City Hall

1110 W Capitol Ave.

West Sacramento, CA 95691

(916) 617-4500

Woodland

Can I Purchase from a Dispensary?

Woodland prohibits all dispensaries.

Can I Get Delivery?

Yes. Cannabis deliveries originating outside the city are allowed, so long as the business has a delivery permit.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Cultivation must be indoors in a residence or accessory structure and limited to six plants, no matter how many adults live there or how many qualified patients a primary caregiver grows for. Woodland doesn’t restrict cultivating for medical purposes for up to five qualified patients, only the total number of plants grown.

City Contacts

City Hall

300 1st St.

Woodland, CA 95695

(530) 661-5800

Yuba County

Marysville

Medical Storefront: Yes

Recreational Storefront: No

Medical Non-Storefront: No

Recreational Non-Storefront: No

Marysville only allows commercial cannabis storefronts, not delivery. But that’s a moot point since delivery is allowed everywhere in California now. You can check with Nugg to see where your nearest licensed recreational delivery service is located.

City Contacts: 526 C St. Marysville, CA 95901 (530) 749-3901

Last Updated 3/8/2019

Supporting SB 1302 Clarifies Cannabis Delivery’s Wordy Grey Area
February 23, 2018 2:07 am Leave a Comment

California is only about two months into the legalization process. But to say that our path is full of roadblocks and red tape is the understatement of the century. One of the largest problems both businesses and consumers face is the patchwork of local bans preventing safe access.

Out of the local municipal codes we’ve summarized so far, roughly 75% of municipalities have chosen to ban most, or all, cannabis activity–including delivery. This creates a huge challenge for both businesses and customers as they’re just beginning their journey into the legal trade.
What you'll learn in this post:

[Click any of the section titles below to jump there]

Putting the Problem in Perspective

It's Exactly What Cannabis Delivery Businesses Face

What Is SB 1302?

Why It'll Be Challenging to Pass

What Can I Do?

Official Links
Putting the Problem in Perspective

Imagine you’re opening a pizza delivery service in the midst of a “war on pizza.” It’s fattening and full of grease. Some even reason the food may be responsible for the plague of obesity sweeping our nation. It doesn’t matter that pizza was invented centuries ago with millions of healthy Italians eating it daily. We’ve got an obesity epidemic, so it must be the pizza. Ban all pizza!

Even though pizza is legal at the state level, activists encourage local municipalities to ban it because it’s clearly bad for you. Let’s just say they’re not big fans of gluten. Now imagine the state legislature decides it should be up to local governments whether or not to allow these bans. After all, a local government should be able to decide what to do within their own borders, right? (If this seems far fetched, it’s not. Take the recent soda bans and taxes for example.)

Now imagine there are still local customers who want pizza, so they call and ask for a delivery. What does the pizza delivery service need to do? First, they must investigate the person’s address then figure out whether or not the local government even allows deliveries. If so, they’ll need to see if there are any additional regulations or restrictions, such as:

The amount of pizza that may be delivered.

Whether the customers must have some sort of special doctor’s recommendation that allows pizza.

If any paperwork has to be filed with local authorities before delivery.

If delivery to non-residential addresses is allowed.

Whether the customer is legally old enough to purchase pizza with or without a license.

Then picture there’s no standard way to find these local regulations. In fact, some are so well hidden that even code enforcement and the police department can’s answer all of these questions. Worse, if you fail to find these restrictions, or can’t completely understand them as written, you could end up with fines or even jail time.

It’s Exactly What Cannabis Delivery Businesses Face

Welcome to California’s cannabis market. This is exactly what delivery services face in this state. Although it’s perfectly legal to buy and sell cannabis, local governments are attempting to completely block their residents’ access to it. Worse, this misguided attempt to prohibit cannabis use inflicts a price far worse than our pizza analogy would. After all, no one ever died from lack of pizza; and it’s highly unlikely that anyone was ever gunned down for possessing black market pizza.

Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) crafted a proposal, SB 1302, to solve this problem that’s pleasing a lot of activists and business people. It’s also likely to tick off the League of Cities and about 75% of the representatives he works with, so he’ll need some help.

What Is SB 1302?

SB 1302 is a simple bill that changes the wording to Section 26090 of the Business and Professions Code. It allows any cannabis delivery service operating in compliance with their own local and state law to deliver to anyone in the state. When the people voted in favor of Prop 64, most were under the impression that businesses could already do this. This is because the wording was very confusing.

But the law only protected a business’s rights to use local roads as they conducted business, not to deliver to customers. This meant that any local government could ban legal cannabis delivery within their borders, whether or not it constituted a violation of their constituents’ rights. SB 1302 fixes this oversight.

Why It’ll Be Challenging to Pass

As they say, no good deed goes unpunished–and writing legislation is far from an exception to that rule. So far, Senator Lara has no co-sponsors for SB 1302, and finding them may be difficult. Since so many municipalities are banning cannabis, the politicians representing those districts will be hard pressed to oppose the bill in the name of local control. These representatives work with their local county board and city council members on many other issues. They can be easily influenced to jump on the ban bandwagon, even if they personally support cannabis rights.

What Can I Do?

Call your local legislator and tell him or her to co-sponsor and vote in favor of SB 1302. The more local populations make their voices heard about this issue, the more they’ll drown out the voices of the local lawmakers who ignored them. All state senators and representatives will face enormous pressure from local governments that want to continue to enforce local bans.

State senators and representatives will need to hear from local supporters who can tell them they aren’t in favor of these total bans and want safe access for all. You can find the contacts for your own local senators and representatives here. The message doesn’t need to be elaborate or detailed. Simply saying “I support Senator Lara‘s SB 1302 and safe access to cannabis,” should be enough. This’ll only take a couple of minutes out of your day, but could make all the difference in the world.
Getting Answers to City Cannabis Regulations Was a Scavenger Hunt
February 16, 2018 6:45 am 2 Comments

“Oh judge! Your damn laws! The good people don’t need them, and the bad people don’t obey them.” –Ammon Hennacy

Since Prop 64 passed, a large portion of Californians have been under the mistaken impression that their state would become a sea of green with free weed raining from the heavens. In some places, this is almost true. Unfortunately, others regulate cannabis like Ebola or the Super Flu manufactured in a Level 4 biocontainment facility. Why?

In its infinite wisdom, Prop 64 leaves a large portion of cannabis regulations entirely up to local governments. And naturally–because this is California–all hell broke loose. There are 58 counties and 482 local municipalities in the state; plus 540 variations of local cannabis regulations.

Part of the problem is even local governments aren’t sure what they can regulate. Prop 64 permits them to establish “reasonable regulations” to control local cultivation and commerce. However, no one has really defined what constitutes a reasonable regulation.
What you'll learn in this post:

[Click any of the section titles below to jump there]

Deciphering the Code

How to Heard Cats

Sometimes We Even Get Answers

Usually We Get a One-Way Ticket to Phone Tree Hell

But L.A. Takes the Cake

Why Does It Matter? I've Got a Medical Card

What We're Finding When We Do Get Answers

It’s Going to Work Out--Eventually
Deciphering the Code

What the state law does regulate is fairly simple. Basically, IF the local government gives its blessing for a commercial activity, or if it simply refuses to address it, the state will happily provide a license to allow said activity. They’ll very happily take your taxes and won’t arrest, fine or prosecute unless you break their rules.

So far, the rules encompass several hundred pages of regulations, legislation and restrictions–but that’s because they aren’t done writing them all yet 🙂

Meanwhile, the rest of us are wondering: 1) where can I get it, and 2) where can I grow it? So I decided to undertake the insane scavenger hunt of reading through all of these local regulations and condensed them for easy reading.

Thus far, I’ve completed the 58 counties, along with a few larger cities, while some stay on hold till regulations pass. And after a much-needed sabbatical in a padded cell, I can say finding these ordinances is a lot like herding cats–but it can be done.

How to Heard Cats

Finding the laws should be fairly straightforward. We just go to the city or county website, hit the search button and type in “marijuana” or “cannabis.” The results should take us to a page addressing FAQ’s with links to the pertinent ordinances.

In a perfect world, that’s how it is. Some cities like Santa Cruz, bless them, even make flow charts to navigate their rules.

Unfortunately, the rest of us find ourselves firmly planted in the not-so-perfect real world; we’ll have to dig through a bunch of ordinances Municode or Amlegal.

When searching for local cannabis regulations, we often get a hundreds-of-pages-long deluge addressing the commercial code and regulations. And, more often than not, you can read through the entire code without finding a single reference to personal medical cultivation or non-commercial rules.

Though that doesn’t mean local rules don’t exist. Sometimes they’re just very hard to find, so it’s a risky move to fall back on state laws by default. If we run into a brick wall, there’s only one option left–pick up the phone.

Sometimes We Even Get Answers

The part of the scavenger hunt directed me to Irvine, which has a very clear Prop 64 information page. The city only allows commercial testing labs yet completely bans dispensaries, forcing residents to go next door to Santa Ana (or elsewhere) for purchases.

But what if you want to grow your own? The city of Irvine simply refers to state law on their website:

How much and where can a person grow cannabis?

Under Health and Safety Code section 11362.2 (a) (1), personal cultivation is subject to the following limitations: (1) A person shall plant, cultivate, harvest, dry, or process plants in accordance with local ordinances, if any; (2) The living plants and any cannabis produced by the plants in excess of 28.5 grams are kept within the person’s private residence, or upon the grounds of that private residence (e.g., in an outdoor garden area), are in a locked space, and are not visible by normal unaided vision from a public place; (3) Not more than six living plants may be planted, cultivated, harvested, dried, or processed within a single private residence, or upon the grounds of that private residence, at one time.

It’s a very clear, succinct, and greatly appreciated, answer. But it doesn’t tell those who need to grow more than six plants for medical reasons how to comply.

Furthermore, Irvine’s code of ordinances isn’t 100% clear on the subject since it previously restricted medical cultivation to indoor only. According the their FAQs, IPD’s Lieutenant Mark Anderson is the man with the answers.

Thankfully, he is. So far, Lieutenant Anderson was the first and only person to actually call back with a response to the latest round of data collection. He informed us that the city’s referring back to state legislation for medical grows as well, namely 11362.77 and 11362.775. And, yes, a patient can grow outdoors if it’s for their medical use.

In other words, the city may ban dispensaries and other commercial uses, but doesn’t prevent our right to grow medical cannabis. As Lieutenant Anderson explains, it’s clear if you actually take a look at it.

On second look, it does appear that the state regulations allow a municipality only to exceed the base limits established by Prop 64 for medical use. The law does not allow cities to reduce a patient’s cannabis amount when their doctor says he or she needs more.

So are the counties that limit personal medical cultivation to six plants per property, no matter what, in violation of state law? Probably. It’s a question that can only be answered through a legal battle, and those can get very expensive.

Meanwhile, the rest of those who don’t feel up to that challenge should know what limits their municipalities are trying to enforce, whether those rules are legal or not.

Usually We Get a One-Way Ticket to Phone Tree Hell

Perris is still developing their ordinances, so it’s hard to know for sure where to find their most recent personal cultivation rules. In cases like this, it’s easiest just to ask code enforcement.

Their representative was helpful attempting to sift through the 36 returns on Muni-code to find their recreational and personal medical cultivation rules.

Unfortunately, the rep hit the same brick wall we did. Apparently no one had even asked the question before. Eventually, he gave an admirably sincere, frank answer: at the moment, the city’s only regulating commercial activity.

If Perris suspects a medical grow masquerading as an unlicensed personal one, it’ll simply hand it off to the Riverside County Sheriff. Now we can just call the Riverside County Sheriff for some answers, right?

Not exactly. It turns out trying to use the listed numbers to call the Riverside County Sheriff is an exercise in pure futility.

A call to the non-emergency number (given by our friendly code enforcement officer) resulted in an uninformative recorded message instructing us to call a different number.

A phone call to the Riverside Sheriff’s Office Perris Station will get you a phone tree directing you to yet more numbers. I actually broke down in a fit of hysterical laughter when I called to speak to a deputy and heard, “the toll free number that you are calling from is not available in your area.”

Apparently, you need a secret decoder ring to talk to a Riverside County Sheriff.

But L.A. Takes the Cake

There isn’t much guidance on Los Angeles City’s website regarding non-commercial cultivation. But there is an entire department dedicated to answering irritating questions like ours. Eureka! This will result in victory for sure!

Sorry, couldn’t get through that one with a straight face.

When asked where the personal medical cultivation ordinance was, office staff answered they weren’t 100% sure; but they would try to respond as quickly as possible if I emailed the question. They also warned it may take a while to get a response.

Evidently, the department only has two full-time employees and is relying on manpower loans from other departments to process the hundreds of Measure M applications. I promptly sent the email on January 25. No answer yet.

Why Does It Matter? I’ve Got a Medical Card

Here’s the problem. If the City of Los Angeles decides that the medical grow for you and your qualified patients should be classified as commercial, you could be subject to a maximum civil penalty of $20,000 for every offense.

Each day a violation continues is deemed a new and separate offense. You can also be subject to a criminal misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or up to six months in jail.

It’d be really, really good to know exactly what the local laws are.

For the record, The Los Angeles City website has half the answer on their cannabis regulations homepage:

“It is unlawful for a person to establish, operate or participate in a medical marijuana collective or cooperative unless in a dwelling unit with three or fewer qualified patients, persons with identification cards or primary caregivers, or any combination thereof.”

Of course, this doesn’t say what the allowable square footage for such a grow is, what the regulations are for growing indoors, nor gives a link to where we can look up these regulations ourselves.

They do, however, have a very prominent link to report any “unlawful activity.”

What We’re Finding When We Do Get Answers

As stated, there are literally hundreds of cannabis rule variations at the local level. In many cases, cities still have months before they can finish drafting a working ordinance. Many more wait for elections to impose taxes as well. There are even more variations on where these regulations and codes can be found and how the city posts new laws once finalized.

To be fair, this is absolutely no fault of the cities. The truth is, the state didn’t even have its own regulations ready until late last year. As a result, any municipalities that developed their ordinances early were risking “jumping the gun.” Worse, they risked tying their own hands legally if unexpected problems arose.

And, as suspected, there were huge changes between the original proposed state regulations and the final versions. One of the largest? The elimination of Prop 64’s mandatory five-year ban on very large cultivation licenses. This has thrown several counties into near chaos and sparked a lawsuit by the California Growers Association.

To make matters more complex, some municipalities are considering rules that may not work if one, or some, of the current lawsuits succeed. Some communities are considering charging for personal cultivation “permits.” Fillmore in Ventura County charges $176 to grow six personal plants indoors.

The VC Star actually reported this fee as a reasonable compromise since Fillmore was originally planning to charge over $700. But the city may find itself holding the bag for those permit fees if the ACLU and DPA win their lawsuit against Fontana for doing roughly the same thing.

All this mess, combined with resistance from anti-legalization groups, is causing some districts to just throw up their hands and ban everything state law allows.

Colusa County bans all commercial activity, dispensaries and deliveries, and restricts all cultivation to six indoor plants. This limit applies to medical and adult use, no matter how many patients live on the property. Also, cultivation is required to be in a permitted and approved accessory structure on the same property, not an inhabited dwelling.

At least we know where the city stands. It only took five minutes to lay out a summary of their rules. In short, you want weed? Go somewhere else. Medical patient? Get there faster.

Of course, it’s possible that Colusa just doesn’t want to become the latest target of the pharmaceutical funded anti-marijuana groups popping up everywhere a citizen dares to take a toke. Why are pharmaceutical companies funding anti-legalization legislation?

One hesitates to make guesses or accusations. Still, it’s hard not to notice when a big pharma company gives half-a-million dollars to the anti-cannabis group, Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy, then gets preliminary approval for a synthetic marijuana.

It’s Going to Work Out–Eventually

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: if you feel lost, you’re not alone. Eventually these rules will be sorted out and everyone will know where they stand. Perhaps a brilliant mind will develop a GPS-based app that gives you the local laws (or a secret decoder ring?). Then you’ll know if your laws are different from the county dwellers across the street.

In the meantime, play it safe and never assume you know the local rules if there’s any lack of clarity. Remember, it’s a bad idea to simply rely on state laws if you can’t find a local ordinance addressing your question(s). Laws are changing quickly and an ordinance may have reached approval in the past few weeks; they may not be listed with the rest of the city’s codes until they’re updated.

We’ll do our best to update these rules as fast as possible, though if in doubt, pick up the phone. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure–especially if you’re preventing criminal charges or $20,000 per day fines.

“Writing laws is easy, but governing is difficult.” —Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
How’s the First Month of New Cannabis Legalization Going, California?
February 5, 2018 7:37 pm Leave a Comment

It’s been a month since the first legal joint was sold by Berkeley Patients Group in Northern California–actually, it was three joints for $45.37. If that purchase doesn’t demonstrate why so many consumers are mad, nothing will.

Cannabis prices have skyrocketed since January first, largely due to steep tax rates and distributor markups. It’s possible these prices could go even higher. So, after all the blood, sweat and tears it took to get here, was it worth it?

In this series, we’ll explore public opinion as we examine and untangle the fine web of our new cannabis regulations. Good or bad, the new laws are here to stay and opinions are definitely mixed.
What you'll learn in this post:

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Greed a Big Concern

Will the Black Market Boom?

We Still Have Criminal Penalties but There's Progress

Can Rescheduling or Descheduling Solve Over-Regulation?

Are We Repeating Other States’ Mistakes?

An Ongoing Legalization Argument
Greed a Big Concern

David McCollester, a property developer in Lake County, believes greed is a main driver behind the forces that control our markets. We’re seeing the results of this greed right now.

“I think legalization took nearly 25 years because the 1% that work closely with government had to figure out how to corner the lion’s share of the market. Now, any hope of a profitable cannabis market will be like going bird hunting and never being able to take the dog off the leash…What government has done here is recognize the profit margin of a black market business model, applied it to a legalized agricultural model, siphoned off any profit margin and basically hobbled 95% of the small and mid-level growers.”

Butte County activist Jeff Pflueger agrees.

“The state has taken this thing over lock, stock and barrel. They’ve skewed the regulations in favor of a few and will kill off the medium to small growers. Then they will turn around and subsidize the big companies with taxpayer funds because the taxpayers voted for it. This is exactly what happened in the tobacco industry!”

The state’s recent decision to allow grows larger than one acre particularly concerns medium and small growers. Prop 64 restricts the size of grows, limiting cultivation licenses to one acre to increase variety and market competition. Removing these caps has sparked vociferous protests from both legislators and trade groups in the North.

California Growers Association has filed a lawsuit to prevent issuing these larger cultivation permits. One of their arguments: “The cumulative individual decisions of small and medium cultivators to remain in the illegal market due to an inability to compete with large cultivators will harm the local economies of traditional cultivation regions of the state by reducing tax revenue in these areas.”

In other words, if they can’t compete on the legal market, they’ll do it on the black one.

Will the Black Market Boom?

Jason D. Andrews owned one of the first SoCal delivery services, Prop 215.com. He’s also a patient who uses cannabis instead of opiates or other pharmaceuticals for PTSD, four ruptured discs and sciatica. “It doesn’t take the pain away,” says Andrews, “but it does keep my mind from dwelling on it.”

Andrews believes the new rules are setting up a huge black market boom.

“An eighth of smoke costs around $35 to $50 average, and has forever, depending on your source. An ounce is over $420 now, even as high as $500, which comes out to around $8,000 a pound. If I can get a pound for anywhere between $400 to $2,000 on the black market, why would anyone ever go to a legal shop and get ripped off?”

There’s no question the black market still thrives in other legal states where excessive regulations create price surges. Southern Nevada activist Ray Adams says Nevada legalization has severe black market issues.

“I personally believe that the high price per gram coupled with the second or third highest taxation rate on cannabis is keeping the black market flourishing in Nevada. When the dispensary price is over twice what the street price is, I don’t think that we will see a reduction in the underground trade of cannabis.”

But Adams isn’t bitter. He believes the situation will eventually sort itself out.

“I’m not going to fault them for trying. They’re forging new ground here in an atmosphere where they feel that the establishment is waiting for them to make a misstep so they can be used as an example. I think that they are doing the best that they can given the hostile atmosphere that this is happening in.”

Nevada’s not the only state faced with black market woes. As Southern California activist Donna Lambert points out, Colorado has so many problems with illegal sales that it recently proposed a bill to add chemical tracking agents to cannabis products. Don’t worry, the chemical agent isn’t here; but when it is, the state will grant the licensing rights to a sole vendor. Monopolies are always a great idea, right?

We Still Have Criminal Penalties but There’s Progress

Los Angeles activist Patrick Moore acknowledges past criminal convictions are being erased using Prop 64 (AUMA) provisions. Nevertheless, he worries both AUMA and state regulatory schemes contain too many new criminal penalties that’ll catch more victims in their nets.

“Just wait until the enforcers are grabbing those new taxes to do what they do. It’s about to get ugly!”

Yet Wesley A. Bridle, Economics major at UCLA, likes the criminal penalty changes. He points out that former felony offenses are now misdemeanors, and therefore don’t void the vote of the person charged.

Butte County Activist Victor Neuman sees these changes in a different light. “When some people think fines, drugs tests and misdemeanors are a proper step forward, they need to be reminded that this is not legalization.”

California veteran and patient Albert Vigil agrees, concerned over the remaining criminal penalties.

“I bet when all the jails are over-filled with people that smoke weed and they have to take care of everyone, they will see that we don’t want weed to be illegal anymore. They will have to do something then. The state will go bankrupt otherwise, and we will now have Trump and Sessions to blame, not Obama and Hillary.”

Patient Ken Banham worries about overzealous law enforcement cracking down on drivers as well.

“My main concern comes from the signs I’ve seen on the freeway saying, ‘drive while high, get a DUI.’ I don’t think that they’ve got the science firmed up for testing cannabis impairment yet. They can’t know whether or not I smoked this morning or 10 minutes ago. I see a future of abusive cops hammering us because of a piece of dust in the eye or the smell of white sage.”

Can Rescheduling or Descheduling Solve Over-Regulation?

Jeff Jonaitis, an Orange County activist and long-time member of Norml, feels that patients and those who work in the industry are now getting over-regulation’s the short end of the stick. “All this greed and ginormous tax on a plant. Just regulate it like tomatoes.”

There may not be much time to complain about the new regulations if the federal government decides to de-schedule or reschedule. It looks as if Jeff Sessions may force Congress to address cannabis’ status under the Controlled Substances Act. Fontana activist and lawsuit plaintiff Mike Harris reminds us about Sessions’ statement that Congress should change cannabis laws if they don’t want to enforce them.

“I think Sessions is forcing the issue of ending the CSA scheduling where before legislators were happy to dodge the problem…Now voters have overwhelmingly shown what side they are on and the few on Capitol Hill have begun a swelling chorus of voices to act. Some more reluctant than others, but still not wanting to go against their own principles of states’ rights. The CSA has always been the key. And when it goes so will our state’s justification for over-regulation.”

Are We Repeating Other States’ Mistakes?

California may have been the first state to legalize medical cannabis, but it missed being the first to legalize recreational by a wide margin. Some activists from other legal rec states are witnessing the fallout of our new regulations and worrying we aren’t learning from their states’ mistakes.

According to Colorado activist Mark Pedersen:

“I am facing multiple felonies for my work with the poor and terminally ill in a so called ‘legal’ state. The image of legalization that the world has is far from reality. The suffering and the persecution still exist. Even though the majority of Americans believe cannabis should be legal, the majority of those who could benefit from the plant still don’t have access to it.”

Will California see cases like Pedersen’s before the end of the year? It’s very likely.

Mr. Pedersen may be right about continuing access problems as well. As it turns out, there’ll be new gaps in access, as some of former patient mainstays have switched over to recreational-only. This leaves former customers to find new sources for their medicine.

Chandra Batra, a long-time cannabis activist from Massachusetts, isn’t happy.

“I’ve been trying to wrap my head and heart around all of this. As a disabled patient, I feel betrayed and stepped on. Harborside became adult-use only on January 1st. They’ve ended their free care and are desperately trying to destroy their history as a patient sanctuary. I am truly upset about what this has done to pediatric patients and families.”

A statement from Harborside’s FAQ page confirms that they don’t have a license to sell medical cannabis. Since they don’t, those under 21 who once turned to them for help must now find other means of MMJ support.

“Harborside will continue to serve medical patients, however, we will not be able to sell quantities in excess of one ounce of non-concentrated cannabis (flower) or eight grams of concentrated cannabis…[it’s] unable to sell to any medical patient under the age of 21. Harborside will offer a 7.5% discount for medical patients with a county-issued medical ID card.”

To be fair, all businesses are facing difficult expense decisions as they pursue state licensing. Retailers who wish to supply both medical and adult-use cannabis need to seek separate licenses for each business category.

An Ongoing Legalization Argument

Even after hearing many complaints about the new law, Bridle remains certain things are a lot better than pre-legalization.

“If you are finding it hard to find positive perspectives on AUMA or more importantly MAUCRSA, then come to WeHo and talk to the people who are still, after three weeks, lining up outside the adult use shops here.”

At the end of the day, he has a point. It’s safe to say there’s no shortage of legal cannabis consumers in California. In fact, stores are struggling to keep up with demand. But tea also had a pretty good market this side of the pond before the British Tea Act.

Long-time OC Norml activist Al Moreno puts his current sentiments in a nutshell. “What else is taxed this high? We need to go underground. We need a Boston pot party.”

As Hermann Göring once said, “We will go down in history as the world’s greatest statesmen or its greatest villains.”
The NIMBY Chronicles Part 2: Calaveras, Kings and Fontana
January 26, 2018 3:25 am Leave a Comment

When public opinion begins to swing on a hot button issue, there’s inevitably some resistance from the displaced, former majority. We’re currently seeing this with cannabis legalization. A plant nearly universally portrayed as a dangerous narcotic is now accepted as a medical treatment, and a relatively harmless recreational drug, by most Americans.

As we adjust to this new pro-legalization paradigm, we’re bound to hit a few speed bumps along the way. The NIMBY’s are just one of those hiccups. These are the groups who profess compassion toward cannabis use and agree that seriously ill people should be allowed to use it to treat their illnesses. They just want them to go somewhere else to do it.

In our last visit to the NIMBY chronicles, we explored the cognitive dissonance allowing local governments to ban, or de facto ban, cannabis activities despite our current paradigm shift. In some cases, these bans take place in counties that overwhelmingly voted to support Prop 64.

Now we’ll look at Calaveras County’s surprise move to ban commercial activity after accepting millions for implementation. We’ll also examine Kings County’s not-so-surprise ban ordinance, and touch on Fontana’s de facto ban on personal cultivation, sparking a lawsuit with potential to redefine several aspects of local verses state law.
What you'll learn in this post:

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And the Winner Is...Calaveras County

Adding Insult to NIMBY Injury

Kings County Gets Second Place

Is Cannabis Really a Water Hungry Crop?

Drought Wasn't the Only Red Herring

Fontana Getting Its Day in Court

What’s Causing the Current Backlash Against Legalization?

Law of Unintended Consequences

Let's End on a Humorous Note
And the Winner Is…Calaveras County

Calaveras County takes the prize for the NIMBY awards this month. After raising nearly $10 million in fees and spending a pretty penny on crafting regulations, the Board of Supervisors voted for an outright ban on all commercial cannabis activity. As farmers and activists screamed from the aisles with threats of instant litigation, the anti-cannabis lobby celebrated their victory.

Basking in the glow of his win, Bill McManus, head of the Committee to Ban Commercial Marijuana, gave the Calaveras Enterprise a quote straight out of the NIMBY playbook. “With Proposition 64, the farmers can relocate elsewhere…They can go somewhere else where they’re welcome.”

In other words, just “Not In My Back Yard.”

Adding Insult to NIMBY Injury

In addition to losing their investments, fees and taxes, growers are being required to fork over the additional expense of returning their land to its former state within 24 months. Many farmers had already spent thousands to prepare for cultivation, and must now invest in reversing those changes without the benefit of their intended cash crop.

There is some small hope. The county board is attempting to prepare two ballot initiatives–one for the ban and one to allow commercial cultivation. If they can finish the initiatives by the end of January, the county can vote on this hotly contested issue in June; however, it’s unsure which direction it’ll vote.

Kings County Gets Second Place

Kings County took the NIMBY cake when it came to specious reasoning, blaming their ban on the drought. A quote directly from their prohibition ordinance states, “In the current drought, marijuana cultivation is not in the public interest because marijuana plants consume substantially more water than most plants used for production of food, fiber, or fuel.”

Is this even true?

In 2014, the Press Democrat shared a widely-contested water usage figure of six gallons per cannabis plant a day. Lawmakers have quoted this figure ever since as they jump on the drought bandwagon to enact their local cannabis bans. Counties like Yuba even used the drought as a reason to pass their ban under an urgency ordinance so it couldn’t be challenged by the voters.

The article’s source for the water usage figures wasn’t cited, but the biggest problem was that the plant’s water footprint wasn’t put into comparative perspective with other crops.

Is Cannabis Really a Water Hungry Crop?

An eighth can last the typical smoker anywhere from a few days to a month. The figure varies so widely because there’s no such thing as a typical smoker. But it’s easy enough to predict that an eighth will last most much longer than one day.

A more recent water usage report used information from Mendocino growers to calculate that it takes roughly 1.875 gallons to produce one cannabis eighth. For comparison, it takes 1.1 gallons of water to produce just a single almond.

Perhaps that’s not a fair comparison since almonds are a food crop, and it’s generally agreed food is a priority. Perhaps we should compare cannabis to another widely-used recreational crop–wine.

The most conservative estimates put a water footprint of 2 to 3 gallons per four ounce glass at the low end, and up to 15 gallons at the high. Remember, this is just for one glass of wine. How many glasses does the average person drink in a sitting? Two? Three?

Cheech and Chong couldn’t come close to the water footprint of your average wine drinker.

Perhaps Kings County should consider switching over to primarily pot production if they want to save on water.

Drought Wasn’t the Only Red Herring

The ordinance states, “the experience of law enforcement in Kings County is that marijuana cultivation increases the risk of crime in our county.” This sounds more like a gut feeling than an statistical or logically provable fact.

It also says:

“Since Colorado legalized marijuana under state law in 2012, homelessness there has increased by 25 percent, fires associated with marijuana in Denver have increased in incidence by over 1,000 percent, and emergency room visits associated with marijuana use have increased nearly 50 percent for residents and over 100 percent for nonresident tourists.”

Nonetheless, such statistics are sensationalized. There was an oft-quoted 154% increase in traffic fatalities related to marijuana between 2006 and 2014. This sounds very alarming, but there are less than 100 fatalities a year. While each was, without doubt, a tragedy, only roughly 30% only had cannabis in their system; the tests have no way of judging impairment since cannabis stays in the system for days or even weeks.

Finally, Kings County tops off their list of complaints with their belief that cannabis is a gateway drug that could lead to methamphetamine and heroin use. Perhaps they’re not aware of statistics showing a reduction in opiate use in states with legal MMJ. Yet it’s hard to believe they haven’t seen patent No. 6630507, allowing the federal government to grant exclusive rights to research certain cannabinoids as a neuroprotectant.

Ironically, Colorado has seen a 6.5% reduction in opiate deaths since cannabis was legalized, but many officials are dismissing these stats. Doctor Larry Wolk, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Public Health, says that “it is too soon to draw sweeping conclusions about legalization’s impact.”

Fontana Getting Its Day in Court

Some local governments didn’t just stop at banning commercial cannabis. Fontana residents are also under a de facto ban for personal cultivation.

The ordinance, which was passed Jan. 24, 2017, requires personal cultivators to apply for a permit costing $411. It’ll be denied if the applicants have any pending code-enforcement issues with the city or overdue fees.

It also tacks on several additional hurdles admittedly designed to restrict personal cultivation rights, including:

A completed live scan at the applicant’s own cost.

No illegal possession felony convictions for the sale, manufacture, transportation, or cultivation of a controlled substance within the last five years.

A signed, notarized affidavit from any landlord or property owner, other than the applicant, that acknowledges and grants permission for cultivation.

A full inspection and approval of the cultivation area by city staff.

A lawsuit backed by the ACLU and the Drug Policy Alliance has already been filed to challenge the ordinance, but it could take years to go through the courts. Meanwhile, citizens are faced with punitive action from their local governments for doing exactly what they voted to allow.

Lawsuit plaintiff Mike Harris says that the council basically admitted it was their goal to make cannabis cultivation more difficult during their pre-vote discussion session. A video of the meeting shows Council member Michael Tahan questioning Community Development Director Zai AbuBakar about the lack of sensitive-use distance requirements for personal grows:

Tahan: “So you could have the whole street doing that [cultivating cannabis in private homes]. I mean, there’s no limitations, right?”

AbuBakar: “Correct, there’s no distance requirements what-so-ever.”

Tahan: “And these could be next to a school, next to a park, next to a church? There’s no limitation that we could put on this?”

AbuBakar: “No.”

Tahan: “So we could turn the city into that? I mean, everyone can have a house and rent the house for so much money and the landlord will sign off…”

AbuBakar: “Yes, but again they have to meet the criteria that we include in the permit process.”

Tahan: “This is very troublesome for me.”

Councilmember Jesse Armendarez added his take on the ordinance, saying:

“When I read this, you know, reasonable regulation…I think we’ve done the most stringent policy we could…I mean, these are all things that I believe you guys put in there for one reason–to deter people from doing this. If people are smelling it next door, then that’s a violation, and that’s how we have our recourse.”

Harris believes these permits are much more likely to be denied than approved in light of the council’s public comments:

“Getting a permit in Fontana is equivalent to putting yourself on criminal parole. There’s no criminal background check to see if I’ve installed my rebar correctly or if I have the proper fencing for my pool. What they want is to find a reason to ding you for something so that you can’t grow at all.”

Now it’ll be up to California’s courts to decide whether Fontana’s regulations are reasonable, or simply designed to block the implementation of voter-approved law.

What’s Causing the Current Backlash Against Legalization?

It’s hard to understand how so many voters can approve of cannabis as a medicine, but still deny the cultivation and distribution of that medicine anywhere near them. People don’t want to be near hog farms because mass production causes environmental damage and noxious odors. Some even make these complaints as they chow down a BLT slathered in mayonnaise.

It’s basically the same story for the much-maligned marijuana plant with one glaring exception: cannabis cultivation can actually help the environment if done right. After all, it’s well-known that hemp is a carbon-neutral source of fiber, fuel and an excellent vegetable protein source.

The environmental damage sometimes caused by unregulated cannabis crops is the result of guerrilla cultivation destined for the black market. Streams are diverted, public lands are abused, and houses are converted into energy-gobbling, neighborhood-ruining grow operations. This isn’t speculation. It’s been occurring in California for years–especially in areas with outright bans and no regulations.

Then why would any public body vote against regulating commercial cannabis activity so we can stop these abuses?

Law of Unintended Consequences

Lots of people want to get into the cannabis business and they’re willing to take many financial risks to do so. We’re now witnessing the new “green rush,” and if we want to know some of the hidden consequences, we only need look at the history of the Gold Rush.

Real estate prospecting drives up property prices to the detriment of overall market stability. Properties are snatched up at the first hint of a friendly ordinance at well over market rates. New prospectors will often begin grading and developing their new property for cultivation before regulations are fully in place. Then, when an ordinance doesn’t pass or their property is zoned out, it’s often abandoned or sold at loss.

In some cities, property owners are asking ten times a property’s value at the mere hint of a favorable zoning ordinance. In others, entire blocks lay empty as guerilla cultivators trade in their hidden suburban grows for legitimate outdoor cultivation.

Essentially, California’s real estate market is in absolute chaos. But this can be expected with any significant economic boom. Silicon Valley suffers a massive homeless problem as tech-entrepreneurs purchase local real estate for massive markups; yet they fail to raise workers salaries to match the increased living cost. Los Angeles’ Skid Row now encompasses 50 city blocks, with more giant encampments popping up in Anaheim and elsewhere.

Hopefully the cannabis industry can bring much-needed employment to California’s unemployed and under-employed. Since legalization, Colorado boasts the nation’s lowest unemployment rate, 2.3%, but it may take years for their real estate market to adjust. Colorado was also the second-fastest growing state in 2016.

Let’s End on a Humorous Note

In an almost laughable NIMBY move, the Coachella Music Festival is continuing their ban on cannabis in their backyard despite legalization–even for those with medical recommendations.

According to the Los Angeles Daily News, concert-goers who forget to leave their legal stash at home can drop off their burdens at the concert’s amnesty boxes, no questions asked. The article doesn’t say where those lucky amnesty boxes will be going after the concert.

So Coachella wins the award for “Most Unenforceable Ban in the State,” hands down. But ya’ gotta love their spirit.
Learn How California’s 2018 Cannabis Taxes Work in Two Minutes
January 16, 2018 3:27 am 14 Comments

The new California taxes on recreational and medical cannabis purchases have us all worried. And rightfully so, they’re confusing, and place a huge premium on the price of products compared to what we’re all used to. It’s important you understand exactly what these taxes mean and what they’re for.
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California Cannabis Taxes Breakdown

Excise Tax

Sales and Use Taxes

A Local Sales Tax Too?
California Cannabis Taxes Breakdown

All commercial cannabis is taxable (this doesn’t include recreational cannabis that you grow for personal use). The only exempt plant is industrial hemp; but it must be a very specific type, with no more than .03% THC in the dried flowering tops.

As soon as a plant is harvested, it’s separated into buds and leaves, then weighed and taxed at a rate of $9.25 per dry-weight ounce of flowers and $2.75 per dry-weight ounce of leaves. All cultivators pay this tax when their cannabis enters the commercial market.

Next, the buds and leaves move on to manufacturers who produce different products, test and send them back to distributors, or directly to distributors, who then test and distribute to retailers. This is where the excise tax comes in.

Excise Tax

All retailers who sell cannabis to the public are subject to a 15% excise tax. This toll is based on the average market value of the cannabis sold, not the actual amount it’s sold for. If you buy an eighth for $1, but the average market value is $30, you’ll pay 15% of $30, not 15% of $1.

Where does the 15% excise tax go? The money collected for this mandatory tax isn’t just part of the general fund; it’s been specifically allocated by Prop 64.

A part of the revenue goes to universities to study Prop 64’s impact and assess whether cannabis legalization affects other drugs and/or alcohol use. Another portion of this cannabis tax will go to the highway department to figure out testing for driving while impaired.

Funds are also allocated to administer a community reinvestments grants program to local health departments job placement, mental health treatment, substance use disorder treatment, system navigation services, legal services, and linkages to medical care for communities disproportionately affected by past federal and state drug policies.

Some is even being allocated to advance major research efforts into the efficacy, and possible adverse effects, of cannabis use. The results will give the federal government the information it needs to address rescheduling on a nationwide basis.

Sales and Use Taxes

The sales and use tax is the typical tax we pay when buying anything. The sales tax amount differs in all areas, depending on the local markups from counties and cities. In L.A. it’s 10%, in Visalia it’s 8.5%.

No matter the amount, if you have a valid state-issued MMID card from your county, you don’t have to pay this cannabis tax. The ONLY people exempt from this tax are people with a valid MMID card. Prop 215 patients are not exempt if they don’t have the card.

Customers also pay the tax if they buy recreational cannabis from a retailer who only has an adult-use license but no medical cannabis retail license.

This tax is called a “use tax” if the product wasn’t sold, but was used by the retailer instead. Say this retailer took an eighth home for his own use; he’d have to pay this tax out of his own pocket, even though he didn’t pay retail price. If the average market value of the cannabis taken home was $30, he’d have to pay $4.50 to the state for the “use tax” instead of the customer paying $4.50 for the “sales tax.”

A Local Sales Tax Too?

Clear as mud? Great, but there’s one final layer of cannabis taxes at the local level. There’s no way to generalize how much this tax will be. It’s written into the code for the county or city where you make the purchase.

Despite being called “sales taxes,” these aren’t really the sales and use taxes MMID card holders are exempt from. They’re a tax on selling cannabis, and it’s up to the local government to decide whether they’ll exempt card holders or not. There may also be local additional cannabis taxes for cultivation, manufacturing or other taxes. The amount also varies widely.

The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) is actually freely admitting that their tax and fee laws can be complex and difficult to understand. If you’re confused about a specific tax, it’s best to get the answer in writing from their office. This’ll protect you from tax, penalties and interest in case they give you erroneous information.

The information contained in this site is for general guidance on matters of interest only. All info here, or on third party websites we link to, is provided “as is”, with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy, or timeliness. In no event will Nugg, its related partnerships or corporations, or the partners, agents or employees thereof be liable to you or anyone else for any decision made or action taken in reliance on the information in this Site or for any consequential, special or similar damages, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.
The Complete Q&A List for California’s 2018 Cannabis Regulations
January 5, 2018 5:46 pm 7 Comments

These answers to frequently asked cannabis questions are provided for informational purposes only. They aren’t intended as a substitute for advice from a qualified attorney. California’s cannabis regulations are still being developed, so this publication takes no responsibility for outdated or incorrect information. All information should be verified with a qualified attorney. This resource includes links to the relevant legislation regarding these cannabis questions because many of these answers are open to legal interpretation. Answers may include opinions about the law or general direction of legislation. Again, these are opinions and not legal advice. Those planning to engage in any cannabis-related activities are strongly advised to use common sense and caution, and, most of all, to seek the direction of a qualified attorney.
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Frequent Recreational Cannabis Questions

Can I just walk in with my ID and get marijuana?

Do you have to be 21 to use it in public?

Do I have to register with the state of California?

Are records of my marijuana purchases kept?

Do I need a California ID or something to show my residence? Are out-of-state individuals allowed to access recreational cannabis with a 21+ out-of-state ID?

Are foreign individuals allowed to access recreational cannabis with a 21+ foreign ID?

Will recreational grade cannabis lack the quality or control of medical grade?

How much are recreational cannabis taxes going to be? Does it vary by county?

Can I fly with it in California?

Could I buy it in the mail?

Can I give cannabis away to my friends?

Can I still get my favorite brands?

Can I attend cannabis events?

I heard California just changed Prop 64 to allow large cultivators to take over

I thought it was legal, then found out I have even more restrictions than before. Can Prop 64 be repealed?

How will recreational cannabis influenced the medical cannabis movement?

Are CBD-only products (less than 0.3%) considered herbal supplements or cannabis? How will recreational cannabis influenced the medical cannabis movement?

Are CBD-only businesses and products subject to the new laws, or do they only apply to cannabis based businesses?

Frequent Medical Cannabis Questions

Will registering with the state affect any potential government jobs?

What are the benefits that come with being a medical marijuana patient?

What does it mean when they say my rec now has to come from my 'attending physician'?

If I get the state card, does that require yearly renewal as well?

Being that I'm under 21, my recommendation should still suffice, correct?

Come January, will out-of-state patients still be able to use their rec for delivery?

Are out-of-state patients able to acquire a MMIC from California?

Will my passport and rental agreement work?

I hear it'll be much harder to get a medical recommendation in 2018; is that true?

So if you get a card, what's the use when cannabis is legal? Is there a discount or something? Is my weed cheaper if I have an MMID in 2018?

What'll be the difference between a dispensary that has a medicinal license vs recreational?

Where does the 15% excise tax go?

Can employers still fire me for testing positive for cannabis on drug tests?

Does having a card affect gun rights?

Since the cost of a NuggMD card renewal ($49) is the same as a new doctor’s recommendation, what disadvantage would there be in letting my current recommendation lapse, then get a new one in a few months--if I still need one?

Does my state-issued card become inactive once the recommendation expires?

I hear the state is not going to allow collectives anymore. Is this true?

Further Reading
Frequently Asked Recreational Cannabis Questions

Can I just walk in with my ID and get marijuana?

If you’re over 21, yup. That’s the law now.

Do you have to be 21 to use it in public?

There is absolutely no Prop 64 provision that allows you to light up in general public areas. If you can’t smoke a cigarette there, you can’t smoke cannabis either. There are going to be lounges where consumption will be allowed, but that’s up to local ordinances. These businesses will not allow anyone under 21 per state law.

Do I have to register with the state of California?

Not for recreational use or even cultivation of up to six plants indoors. Some counties like Monterey are trying to require registration for the small amounts of indoor recreational cultivation allowed by Prop 64. It’s a new thing and hasn’t been challenged in court yet–so it’s almost guaranteed it will be.

Are records of my recreational marijuana purchases kept?

Yes, the details of each recreational purchase are recorded. These include your first name, your customer number, what you bought, how many, when you bought it/them, and for how much.

Do I need a California ID or something to show my residence? Are out-of-state individuals allowed to access recreational cannabis with a 21+ out-of-state ID?

Yes. It looks like, from the language here, all they’re required to show is a government-issued identification saying they’re 21 or older. It doesn’t say it has to be a California ID. There are some cities in California that are looking forward to becoming cannabis tourism destinations.

Are foreign individuals allowed to access recreational cannabis with a 21+ foreign ID?

The general consensus is that Prop 64 never specifies residency for recreational users. If you’re visiting California and staying in a hotel, remember that many hotels ban smoking.

Will recreational grade cannabis lack the quality or control of medical grade?

There’s a little known provision that the legislature added to the MAUCRSA this session. Business & Professions Code 26070 (l) says, “beginning January 1, 2018, a licensee may sell cannabis or cannabis products that have not been tested for a limited and finite time as determined by the bureau.”

It’s likely they did this to prevent a complete collapse of the supply chain during these first few days of legalization (like what happened in some other states). It has to say on the label that it hasn’t been tested. So, technically, none of them are required to be tested–yet. Look very carefully for that label until the legislature changes its rules.

How much are recreational cannabis taxes going to be? Does it vary by county?

Heck, there’s a massive spread on tax rates by different municipalities in the same counties. They’re basically testing the limits of what they think producers and consumers will accept. Some of the local tax rates seem wildly unrealistic.

Farmersville is imposing a tax on marijuana businesses at a maximum rate of 10% of gross receipts or $25 per square foot. This is in addition to the state’s mandated taxes, though they don’t seem to have any takers yet.

We’ve included speculations to this point in a separate article because it deserves more than a short answer. Some are estimating that the cumulative taxes will double or even triple current market prices, but not until the initial supply run is over and demand outstrips current supplies. For the sort of short answer, you’ll find the applicable taxes in Revenue and Taxation Code Part 14.5.

Can I fly with it in California?

Even if all travel is in the same legal state, it’s still a bad idea. There is a pretty succinct answer from the TSA, who apparently doesn’t care one whit about Constitutional rights if you’ve been watching the news for the past few years:

Possession of marijuana is illegal under federal law. TSA officers are required to report any suspected violations of law, including possession of marijuana. TSA’s screening procedures are focused on security and are designed to detect potential threats to aviation and passengers. Accordingly, TSA security officers do not search for marijuana or other illegal drugs, but in the event a substance that appears to be marijuana is observed during security screening, TSA will refer the matter to a law enforcement officer.

In other words, it may be legal to possess cannabis in the state, but it’s still gonna be a pain in the butt to get it past the TSA (literally, they give rectal exams for less.)

Could I buy it in the mail?

No. Well, you probably could, but it’s not legal. Postal inspectors have to obtain a search warrant before they can open your package, but if they suspect there are drugs in the package, they can and will obtain it. They intercept tons of cannabis every year and even post the statistics. And the private couriers are even worse, as shipping with companies like DHL or FedEx carries fewer privacy rights.

Can I give cannabis away to my friends?

You can legally give away cannabis to anyone 21 or over, as long as the amount is under 28.5 grams. If you give away more than 28.5 grams or give cannabis to anyone under 21, you’ll face fines and possibly even criminal charges.

Can I still get my favorite brands?

Mostly likely not. The Manufactured Cannabis Safety Branch created their own rules that demand specific limits on cannabis product concentrations and shapes. Some food products are strictly prohibited, such as edibles that look appealing and indistinguishable from normal kids’ candy. The licensing requirements can be so detailed that some companies are realizing they just don’t have the means to adapt and survive.

Can I attend cannabis events?

Trade shows like the High Times Cannabis Cup will still be active, but they’ll now be strictly limited to adults 21 and up. Even a medical patient under 21 isn’t allowed, nor is alcohol and tobacco use. Another downer? Free samples are a thing of the past.

I heard California just changed Prop 64 to allow large cultivators to take over.

That’s actually fairly true. Section 26061(d) of Prop 64 (you’ll find it here on page 28) says “No Type 5, Type 5A, or Type 5B cultivation licenses may be issued before January 1, 2023.” (That’s the huge cultivation licenses that are larger than 22,000 feet indoors and one acre outdoors). The law was written this way to let everyone get the same chance for a foothold in the market before big producers could try to cut out competition.

The state legislature suddenly changed this just a few weeks ago to the absolute outrage of the cannabis community. After all, the state isn’t supposed to be able to change a ballot initiative like this.

Unfortunately, the language of Prop 64 allows wide latitude to the legislature to amend the initiative (Section 10, page 64 of the same link). They’re using that wide latitude, and their decision is likely going to be challenged in court along with some other changes.

I thought it was legal, then found out I have even more restrictions than before. Can Prop 64 be repealed?

Some Californians are definitely feeling a little buyer’s remorse in the more restrictive municipalities. Others are considering filing lawsuits to fight for the rights that they thought would be guaranteed by Prop 64.

There are also some activists in the medical movement that are considering a statewide constitutional amendment to help protect access for medical patients no matter what changes are made to recreational regulations. Prop 64 was originally supported by these influencers. Contact them and ask for additional efforts to improve the law, or just thank them for their support if you’re happy with how Prop 64 is panning out:

Sean Parker of Facebook.

Justin Hartfield of Weedmaps.

The Marijuana Policy Project.

Hezekia Allen of the California Growers Association.

Steve DeAngelo of Harborside Health and Wellness.

Gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom.

Investor/magnate George Soros.

If they get enough comments from the citizens who voted for the initiative but are unsatisfied with its results, perhaps they can be convinced to fund a repeal or constitutional amendment.

How will recreational cannabis influence the medical cannabis movement?

Great question. As it turns out, many medical cannabis patients are very concerned that prices will go up and quality will go down very fast. Others think that access will be greatly improved since most patients find six plants to be sufficient.

Unfortunately, many local governments are making it very hard to grow even though it’s legal. Some are even trying to apply registration fees for the state’s allowable personal cultivation of six plants. There are so many moving pieces to the equation that it’s literally impossible to tell. However, the current actions of the legislature to eliminate the cap size restrictions on cultivation don’t bode well.

Are CBD-only products (less than 0.3% THC) considered herbal supplements or cannabis?

The answer to this is complicated. The DEA is making it very clear that they consider even non-psychoactive CBD oil illegal because it comes from a plant that is listed on Schedule 1 under the Controlled Substances Act. But the states have different laws.

In California, industrial hemp is not considered cannabis by legal definition, but it must be a very specific type of plant to qualify as industrial hemp. It must be Cannabis sativa L. with no more than .03% THC in the dried flowering tops.

This law also says that hemp can only be grown if it comes from an approved list of hemp seed cultivars, but the lists are scattered across several different regulatory agencies, so before one begins to cultivate, it would be best to check with the Department of Food and Agriculture.

Are CBD-only businesses and products subject to the new laws, or do they only apply to cannabis based businesses?

Hemp is regulated by the Department of Food and Agriculture, but whether the CBD business falls into the hemp category or the cannabis category under Division 10 depends on the type of product they are producing and the type of cannabis they use. If they qualify as government-approved hemp crops, they will be regulated by these rules with the Department of Food and Agriculture.

Any other cannabis, even if it’s non-psychoactive Cannabis sativa L. with a THC content of .04%, will be subject to the general cannabis regulations in Division 10 of the Health and Safety Code.

Frequently Asked Medical Cannabis Questions

Will registering with the state affect any potential government jobs?

There are privacy provisions in Prop 64 (Sec. 52.) that have been codified into Health & Safety 11362.713. MMID information is deemed medical information and afforded serious protections. Among those privacy restrictions are instructions that MMID numbers are all that can be verified by the state. Names and medical conditions aren’t allowed for disclosure.

They go to a lot of trouble to keep that medical info from being hacked or abused by those who have access to it, legally or not. But there are also provisions in the same section that allow this private medical information to be revealed after the patient has been notified in certain cases.

But there are caveats. From the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse regarding questions of background checks, “It depends. In general, consumer reporting agencies that perform background checks cannot include medical information in your background check unless you consent and the information is relevant to the job you are seeking.” See FCRA § 604(g) [9] and Cal.Civ. Code §§ 1786–1786.30 [10]

For more information on employee background checks, see PRC’s guides: Employment Background Checks: A Jobseeker’s Guide [11], and Employment Background Checks in California: A Focus on Accuracy [12]. This one will likely end up in court too.

What Benefits Come with Being a Medical Marijuana Patient?

There are several, but the main pluses are:

Access to more dispensaries across the state (over 1,000).

No state sales and use taxes.

Protection from arrest if carrying more than an ounce of MMJ.

Greater parental protection rights (don’t worry about losing child custody).

Larger standard possession limits (up to eight ounces at one time).

Even larger possession limits (if doctor recommend).

Larger cultivation allowances (in many jurisdictions).

Lower age limit to purchase (18 years for medical vs. 21 years for recreational).

What does it mean when they say my rec now has to come from my “attending physician”?

The law now defines “attending physician” as:

“an individual who possesses a license in good standing to practice medicine or osteopathy issued by the Medical Board of California or the Osteopathic Medical Board of California and who has taken responsibility for an aspect of the medical care, treatment, diagnosis, counseling, or referral of a patient and who has conducted a medical examination of that patient before recording in the patient’s medical record the physician’s assessment of whether the patient has a serious medical condition and whether the medical use of cannabis is appropriate.”

If I get the state card, does that require yearly renewal as well??

Yes, definitely. You can find the answers to a lot of the questions about the MMIC program at this site. Regarding expiration, cards for primary caregivers might need to be renewed before one year is up. “The MMIC may be valid up to one year. A primary caregiver card will expire when the patient’s card expires even if it is less than 12 months.”

Being that I’m under 21, my recommendation should still suffice, correct?

You’re allowed to purchase cannabis from a MEDICAL cannabis retailer if you have a valid MMID. There are two types of licenses: Adult Use–designated as license type A, and Medical Use–designated as license type M.

A retailer can have both an M-type license and an A-type license. They’re required to apply for both in order to sell both. If they have the two licenses, then they can sell to those between 18 and 21 years old with an MMIC also.

Come January, will out-of-state patients still be able to use their rec for delivery?

To be honest, they never really could. Prop 215’s stated intent and purpose is to “ensure that seriously ill Californians have the right to obtain and use marijuana for medical purposes.” If people who genuinely live in other states have been using California physician’s recommendations for delivery, they simply haven’t been challenged on the point yet.

You can find a discussion in this article with one of Prop 215’s original proponents arguing the point. He said that the California Supreme Court ignored Prop 215’s intents and purposes in the Riverside decision. So, he argues this means we can ignore the word “Californian” when considering protections for out-of-state patients under the same reasoning.

On re-reading the court’s decision, it seems that they were only making a narrow interpretation of Prop 215’s intents and purposes, not discounting them altogether. This logic has likely not yet been addressed by a court. It’d be inadvisable to provide a patient MMJ who says he/she lives out-of-state based on the logic.

Are out-of-state patients able to acquire a MMIC from California?

No. They may be able to get a physician’s recommendation from those willing to challenge the legal point, but that recommendation can’t be used to get a state ID card; they must produce proof of their county of residence in California according to Health & Safety Sec. 11362.715 (a)(1) to get a state-issued MMIC. That ‘s been a requirement for a long time.

Will my passport and rental agreement work?

It doesn’t say in the law that proof of residency has to be a state ID. The law says: “(1) The name of the person and proof of his or her residency within the county” and “(5) A government-issued photo identification card of the person.” So, a utility bill or something similar should do; it’s hard to imagine a scenario where a rental agreement wouldn’t suffice. Of course, it’s up to the county that issues the ID’s.

I hear it’ll be much harder to get a medical recommendation in 2018; is that true?

Maybe a little. There are definitely new restrictions on doctors now, but most of those were actually introduced by the MMRSA in 2015, not Prop 64. One of the things that they disallowed was doctors who receive remunerations or compensation from collectives to provide MMJ recommendations.

Another is that the recommending doctor must be the patient’s attending physician. Prop 64 cemented these new restrictions by including their enforcement in the intents and purposes and body of the initiative.

So if you get a card, what’s the use when cannabis is legal? Is there a discount or something? Is my weed cheaper if I have an MMID in 2018?

Yes and no. Sec. 34011(g) of Part 14.5 of the Revenue and Taxation Code says,

“The sales and use tax imposed by Part 1 of this division shall not apply to retail sales of medical cannabis, […] when a qualified patient (or primary caregiver for a qualified patient) provides his or her card issued under Section 11362.71 of the Health and Safety Code and a valid government- issued identification card.”

But they’ve been attempting to tighten up restrictions for what constitutes a valid recommendation and MMIC. Just showing your doctor’s rec won’t avoid the tax. Only obtaining the state-issued card from your county after getting your doctor’s rec will do it. Counties have specific instructions from the state as to qualifications for the official card.

This leads to another important point. Anyone just acting like a qualified patient, or a patient provider, is still protected from criminal prosecution under Prop 215. However, they aren’t afforded protection from paying the taxes, nor are they protected from charges of tax evasion for selling cannabis without a state license.

It’s extremely likely that THIS is where they’re going to get charges to stick on patient providers that they feel are operating outside the limited protections of Prop 215. It’s another good reason to get a valid physician’s recommendation and the state-issued card.

The state-issued card also adds another layer of protection from arrest. The Medical Marijuana Policy states that an identification card holder won’t be subject to arrest for possession, transportation, delivery, or cultivation of medical marijuana within the amounts specified by the statute–except if it’s believed the card is false or invalid or the holder. (§ 11362.71, subd. (e); see § 11362.77, subd. (a).)

What’ll be the difference between a dispensary that has a medicinal license vs recreational?

Price, and who they can sell it to. The taxation rules for recreational cannabis don’t apply to buyers with a state-issued MMID. Medical providers can also sell to those between 18 and 21 years old with an MMID. Adult providers can’t.

There’ll also be more medical cannabis establishments throughout the state because counties are less likely to ban medical dispensaries than recreational.

Where does the 15% excise tax go?

The money collected for this mandatory tax is not part of the general fund. It’s been specifically allocated by Prop 64. Some is going to universities to study the impact of Prop 64’s implementation and assess whether legalization of cannabis affects use of other drugs and/or alcohol. Some is going to the highway department to figure out how to test for impairment.

Funds are also allocated to:

Administer a community re-investments grants program to local health departments job placement.

Mental health treatment.

Substance use disorder treatment.

System navigation services.

Legal services to address barriers to reentry.

Linkages to medical care for communities disproportionately affected by past federal and state drug policies.

Some of the money is even being allocated to advance major research efforts into the efficacy of, and possible adverse effects of cannabis use. The results of these studies will give the federal government the information it needs to address the issue of rescheduling on a nationwide basis.

Can employers still fire me for testing positive for cannabis on drug tests?

Definitely. You have very little in the way of rights as a California MMJ patient. Furthermore, Prop 64 implicitly spells out the right of employers to fire people who don’t comply with their drug use policies–even if it isn’t on the job and the drug use is in their own private time for medicinal reasons.

A Massachusetts MMJ patient who was fired for testing positive for cannabis recently was given the right to proceed with a discrimination claim. The court ruled that “marijuana used for medicinal purposes is just as lawful as other medications used by employees and should be treated as such.”

He or she probably could’ve sued on the point and eventually won too, but not now that Prop 64 has been voted in by the people. The language in Prop 64 protects the rights of companies to ban medical cannabis in the workplace. And since the California Constitution requires courts to consider laws enacted by the people as the highest form of law next to the Constitution itself, it’s going to take a constitutional rights case to correct the situation.

That’s going to be a tough one because California courts have often ruled for private rights of businesses over Constitutional rights whenever they could see the wiggle room to do so.

Does having a card affect gun rights?

In an appeals court decision that reminds most Americans of concepts like pre-crime and movies like Minority Report, the Fourth Circuit argued that “Government need not prove a causal link between drug use and violence,” and the 9th Circuit bought it.

They then concluded that it was not a violation of Constitutional rights to deny the right for marijuana users to bear arms because drug users were more likely to engage in irrational behavior. Seriously. They actually said that. The argument is by no means finished, but for now, guns can be denied to citizens with MMIDs.

Meanwhile, those who have already been issued cards authorizing their use of gun have been issued letters in some states demanding that they voluntarily surrender their firearms. But the attempts to confiscate these firearms have failed. They have also been conducted in such a way that medical privacy rights can easily be violated, with some states sending out easily-recognizable blanket notices to the effect.

Since the cost of a NuggMD card renewal ($49) is the same as a new doctor’s recommendation, what disadvantage would there be in letting my current recommendation lapse, then get a new one in a few months–if I still need one?

Simply having a doctor’s recommendation carries an added layer of protection that recreational users don’t have–Prop 215. And because of the court decision People vs. Kelly, they can possess and cultivate as is medically necessary. Also, if you are a patient under 21 years of age, you’ll be subject to criminal charges for possessing ANY amount of cannabis.

If the amount you need for medical use falls well below what is allowed for adult use, that there isn’t really a disadvantage since the Federal courts don’t allow a medical defense. Most patients, however, do tend to need much more than what is allowed for recreational use because they eat cannabis more often than they smoke it.

So, the answer depends on these questions: Are you a patient under 21 years of age? Does your doctor think you need more than the state-allowed amount for recreational? If your answer is yes to either of these questions, then there is a serious disadvantage to letting your doctor’s recommendation lapse.

Does my state-issued card become inactive once the recommendation expires?

Counties are simply required to ensure that the recommendation is still valid per Business and Professions Code 2525 when they issue an MMID. As for how long a county MMID is good for, you’ll find the answer in Health and Safety Code: 11362.745

(a) An identification card shall be valid for a period of one year.

(b) Upon annual renewal of an identification card, the county health department or its designee shall verify all new information and may verify any other information that has not changed (in other words, that the current rec isn’t expired.

This means that as long as your doctor’s recommendation is good, then when they issue your MMID, it’s good for one year, period. You’ll need to get it renewed before you go in to renew your MMID next time of course.

I hear the state is not going to allow collectives anymore. Is this true?

On 1/9/18, the one year notice was issued by the Bureau, stating that the clock is ticking on Health and Safety Code 11362.775. This law is written as an exception from prosecution for collectives currently operating under SB 420. It’s set to expire exactly one year after the notice is issued by the Bureau that they have begun issuing licenses.

However, it’s argued that collectives operate under the constitutional freedom of association, not under a privilege offered by state legal codes. In other words, it’s as if the legislature wrote the law to grant a right that already existed, simply to establish the power to revoke the pre-existing right after the law expired. Therefore, instant litigation is likely once the deadline has expired in January next year.

Further Reading

If you’d like to stay on top of all these head-scratching changes and additions, read the following articles and be prepared for 2018.

How to Get a Medical Marijuana Card in 2018

The Always Updated Guide to California Cannabis Regulations by County in 2018

2018 Brings New Challenges to the Federal Government’s Cannabis Law

Jeff Sessions Rescinds Cole Memo
The Always Updated Guide to California Cannabis Regulations by County in 2019
5:45 pm 7 Comments
Disclaimer: This list of county regulations and recent legislation is provided for informational purposes only. It’s not intended as a substitute for advice from a qualified attorney. The regulations in California’s municipalities are literally changing on a daily basis, so this publication takes no responsibility for outdated information. All information should be verified. Additionally, this isn’t a comprehensive list of all legislation in California. This is only a broad overview of county legislation and only limited city information is included. All readers are urged to contact their local government to obtain their most recent local regulations. Those who are planning on opening commercial businesses, medical collectives or conducting personal cultivation are strongly advised to seek the direction of a qualified attorney.

Confused about where to find your local cannabis regulations? You’re not alone. Figuring out where legislation will land in California’s 58 counties and 482 municipalities is likely going to take all year.

This article is a start to the effort and will be updated as legislation continues to develop and city regulations are added. If you have links to local regulations that you can provide or corrections to suggest, your input will be greatly appreciated.

if you’re interested in a medical marijuana certification, visit our medical page NuggMD to get started right now.

You can email suggestions and corrections to debbie@getnugg.com. I thank you ahead of time for your input.
Learn About California's Local Ordinances in:

[Click any of the section titles below to jump there]

Alameda County

Alpine County

Amador County

Butte County

Calaveras County

Colusa County

Contra Costa County

Del Norte County

El Dorado County

Fresno County

Glenn County

Humboldt County

Imperial County

Inyo County

Kern County

Kings County

Lake County

Lassen County

Los Angeles County

Madera County

Marin County

Mariposa County

Mendocino County

Merced County

Modoc County

Mono County

Monterey County

Napa County

Nevada County

Orange County

Placer County

Plumas County

Riverside County

Sacramento County

San Benito County

San Bernardino County

San Diego County

San Francisco County

San Joaquin County

San Luis Obispo County

San Mateo County

Santa Barbara County

Santa Clara County

San Cruz County

Shasta County

Sierra County

Siskiyou County

Solano County

Sonoma County

Stanislaus County

Sutter County

Tehama County

Trinity County

Tulare County

Tuolumne County County

Ventura County

Yolo County

Yuba County

Further Reading
Alameda County

Can I Purchase Cannabis from a Dispensary?

Alameda County is now allowing both recreational and medical dispensaries. The vote to expand access to cannabis took place on May 8, 2018. The new regulations haven’t been added to their online municipal code yet, but you can review the county’s announcements here.

Can I Get Delivery?

Alameda County now allows both recreational and medical marijuana delivery.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The county is continuing with its pilot program for commercial medical and recreational marijuana cultivation. The ordinance in control of the program doesn’t cover recreational growing or the medical growing in a 100 square feet allowed under state law.

These ordinances are still being developed and not entirely clear yet, so when in doubt, give them a call and ask.

Taxes

The county has not instituted taxes yet, but a plan is being developed and will likely be put to a vote in the near future.

County Contacts

Community Development Agency

224 W. Winton Ave., Room 110

Hayward, CA 94544

Phone: (510) 670-5333

Fax: (510) 670-6374

Planning Department

224 W. Winton, Room 111

Hayward, CA 94544

Phone: (510) 670-5400

Fax: (510) 785-8793

MMID Contact

Alameda County Public Health Department

1000 Broadway, Suite 500

Oakland, CA 94607

Phone: (510) 268-2977

eFax: (510) 268-7657

Contact: Sandy Adams

Email: sandy.dykes@acgov.org

Note: By Appointment Only

Last updated July 2018

Alpine County

Section 7.04.030, prohibited activities, states:

Commercial marijuana cultivation, marijuana processing and marijuana dispensaries shall be prohibited activities in the county, except where the county is preempted by federal or state law from enacting a prohibition on any such activity. No use permit, variance, building permit, or any other entitlement, license, or permit, whether administrative or discretionary, shall be approved or issued for the activities of marijuana cultivation, marijuana processing, marijuana delivery, or the establishment or operation of a marijuana dispensary in the county, and no person shall otherwise establish or conduct such activities in the county, except where the county is preempted by federal or state law from enacting a prohibition on any such activity for which the use permit, variance, building permit, or any other entitlement, license, or permit is sought. (Ord. 716 § 2 (part), 2016)

Can I Purchase Cannabis from a Dispensary?

No. The county banned commercial cannabis activity as soon as the passage of 2015’s MMRSA allowed for it, and they show no signs of letting up.

Can I Get Delivery?

Definitely not. Delivery used to be an effective workaround for counties where dispensaries are banned. However, Prop 64 allows for the banning of local deliveries.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The county has not yet updated its ordinances to reflect the changes in state law, but recreational cultivation appears to be indoor only.

County Contacts

Community Development

50 Diamond Valley Rd.

Markleeville, CA 96120

Phone: (530) 694-2140

Fax: (530) 694-2149

MMIC Contact

Alpine County

By appointment only, call (530) 694-2146

Business Hours:

Monday, 1pm – 4:30pm

Wednesday, 1pm – 4:30pm

Friday, 1pm – 4:30pm

Last updated July 2018

Amador County

Can I Purchase Cannabis from a Dispensary?

Dispensaries are banned in Amador County.

Can I Get Delivery?

Delivery isn’t mentioned in their code of ordinances at all. It’s simply banned under the blanket term, “marijuana cultivation and related activities.”

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Cultivation is banned both indoors and outside, though a qualified patient or caregiver is exempt. Furthermore, caregivers are limited to no more than 12 plants, no matter the number of qualified patients they care for.

They do allow medical patients to use outdoor cultivation, as long as the site is at least 50 feet away from the nearest property line. The plot must also be at least 100 feet away from the nearest dwelling structure and not publicly visible. You can read the specific cultivation rules here.

County Contacts

Planning Department

810 Court St.

Jackson, CA 95642

(209) 223-6380

MMIC Program

Amador County

By appointment only, call (209) 223-6407

Business Hours:

Thursday 1pm – 4pm

Last updated July 2018

Butte County

Butte county is still banning commercial cannabis.

Can I Purchase Cannabis from a Dispensary?

No. At the moment, Butte doesn’t allow any dispensaries.

Can I Get Delivery?

Both recreational and medical deliveries are legal in Butte County, but recreational marijuana deliveries must originate from outside of the unincorporated county area since all other adult-use licenses are prohibited in the county.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

For personal adult-use cultivation, residents are limited to no more than six plants per residence.

For personal medical cultivation, the rules are a little more complicated. On small parcels, you‘re only allowed to grow on 50 square feet. If your parcel is less than half an acre, the grow must be inside a building no larger than 120 square feet. It must be on the same property as, but separate from, the primary residence. There are other requirements listed in the code.

All grows on land over half an acre may be outdoors, so long as they’re shielded from public view. The largest cultivation area allowed is 150 square feet, and any growth over 50 square feet requires two or more recommendations. You can read more about cultivation requirements here.

County Contacts

Development Services

Phone: (530) 538-7601

Fax: (530) 538-7785

Appointments

Building: (530) 538-7601

Planning: (530) 538-5359

Code Enforcement: (530) 538-6000

MMIC Contact

Cathy A. Raevsky, Director

Andy Miller, M.D., Health Officer

Vital Records Office

202 Mira Loma Drive

Oroville, California 95965

Phone: 530.538.7700

buttecounty.net/publichealth

Activist Organizations

Inland Cannabis Farmers Association

Last updated July 2018

Calaveras County

Calaveras County chose to ban all commercial cannabis activity with the exception of medical dispensaries on January 10, 2018.

*Update: The Calaveras Cannabis Legal Defense Fund filed an injunction attempting to stop Calaveras County’s enforcement of the ban. This injunction was denied on June 15, 2018. The county is now enlisting help from the National Guard to enter private property and enforce their ban. This crackdown includes those farmers who paid millions in taxes and fees to become compliant with the county’s former legal commercial cultivation ordinance. Several people have been arrested as a result of this enforcement effort.

Can I Purchase Cannabis from a Dispensary?

Medical dispensaries are currently allowed in very limited amounts.

What Are the Rules for Cultivating My Own?

All cultivation is now limited to six plants, no matter whether for medical use or recreational use, and must be indoor. You can read more about the new cultivation rules here. They are much more restrictive than they used to be, so it is a very good idea to become familiar with them.

County Contacts

Calaveras County Cannabis Site

Calaveras County Administration

Address: 891 Mountain Ranch Rd, San Andreas, CA 95249

Hours: Closed ⋅ Opens 8AM Fri

Phone: (209) 754-6025

MMIC Program

By appointment only: Calaveras County (209) 754-6460

Activist Organizations

Calaveras Cannabis Alliance

Calaveras County Medical Growers Association

Last updated July 2018

Colusa County

Colusa County is under a complete ban of all cannabis activity that can legally be banned. This means that residents are limited to the state maximum of six plants, and there will be no dispensaries or deliveries allowed.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The county has extremely strict and expensive rules for personal cultivation. All cultivation must be indoors in an accessory structure on the cultivator’s permanent residence. The cultivator must have electrical and plumbing permits, even if it is under 120 square feet.

Additionally, the county reserves the right to require anything else they deem necessary and inspect the structure before cultivation may begin. You can read the specific cultivation rules here.

County Contacts

Planning Department

220 12th St.

Colusa, CA 95932

Phone: (530) 458-0480

Fax: (530) 458-0482

MMIC Contact

Colusa County does not participate in the MMIC program.

Last updated July 2018

Contra Costa County

Contra Costa’s has a total ban on all commercial cannabis activity, whether medical or adult use, and any outdoor growing.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Six plants or less may be grown inside only a private residence or an accessory structure to a private residence so long as it’s properly permitted for all electrical, plumbing and any other required permits.

County Contacts

Ruben Hernandez, Current Planning Principal Planner

30 Muir Rd.

Martinez, CA 94553

Phone: (925) 674-7785

Fax: (925) 674-7258

MMIC Contact

Contra Costa Health Services

By appointment only, call (925) 313-1126

County Activist Organizations

Contra Costa Norml

Last updated July 2018

Del Norte County

Del Norte County has enacted a temporary ban on commercial cannabis activity intended to maintain their status quo until they can “come up with something better.” They actually had some of the most reasonable explanations for their decision, citing uncontrolled real estate speculation as their main concern.

It’s true that other counties are seeing sudden rises in property prices in those considering more permissive ordinances. The ban will be revisited in 2018, with local activists optimistic that an ordinance with commercial rights will eventually be adopted.

Can I Purchase Cannabis from a Dispensary or Delivery?

There may be a dispensary that still operates under Prop 215 rules, but any dispensaries would be operating in a very nebulous gray area. Since the code is very vague regarding activity allowed under Prop 215, some may consider challenging the commercial framework.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The county code doesn’t currently specify whether personal grows can be conducted indoors or outdoors.

County Contacts

Community Development Department

981 H Street, Suite 110

Crescent City, CA 95531

Phone: (707) 464-7254

Fax: (707) 465-0340

MMIC Contact

Department of Health & Social Services

880 Northcrest Drive

Crescent City, CA 95531

(707) 464-3191

Business Hours: Monday – Friday, 8am – 12pm; 1pm – 5pm

Last updated July 2018

El Dorado County

El Dorado County adopted a temporary ban of all commercial cannabis activity while they consider establishing commercial activity rules. To this effect, they’ve established the Cannabis Advisory Committee. They have until Dec. 12, 2019 before they must make a final decision about their cannabis regulations.

Can I Purchase Cannabis from a Dispensary or Get Delivery?

According to the Mountain Democrat, “The ban does not impact medical cannabis dispensaries ability to operate as previously permitted under county Ordinance 4999; however, it does affect local growers who provide products to those dispensaries.” So, you’ll still have some access to cannabis with your MMIC for a while.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

El Dorado County still operates under a nuisance ordinance for medical cultivation. They allow up to 200 square feet of medical cultivation in certain residential zones and up to 600 square feet in agriculturally zoned areas. Personal medical cultivation can take place outdoors in some zones, but all adult-use cultivation (up to 6 plants only) must take place indoors. If you have a medical card, and you want to see if your property qualifies for outdoor cultivation and how many square feet you can cultivate, check with the planning department first.

County Contacts

El Dorado County Planning Services

MMIC Contact

Department of Public Health Emergency Medical Services Agency

2900 Fair Lane Court

Placerville, CA 95667

(530) 621-6500

Business Hours: 8am – 5pm

By Appointment Only

Last updated July 2018

Fresno County

Fresno County has a decidedly hostile attitude toward medical cannabis, and it hasn’t gotten much better with the passage of Prop 64.

Can I Purchase Cannabis from a Dispensary or Get Delivery?

Dispensaries are explicitly banned in Fresno County. Dispensaries may still operate under Prop 215 rules, but enforcement is particularly harsh. Fresno city decided to allow state licensed medical cannabis businesses on Dec. 16.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

You’re limited to the maximum six allowed by state law indoors only. The City of Fresno was considering limiting indoor medical marijuana cultivation further by establishing a definite cap on the state allowed six plants and wattage limits for indoor growers. However, this ordinance didn’t pass and the city council is currently back at the drawing board.

The county has openly pushed for bans like this in its cities, and many are choosing to ban up to the extent allowable by law along with the county. We were unable to find specific ordinances dictating limitations of building structures or codes for indoor cultivation–only language for an outright ban.

County Contacts

Fresno County Planning Department

MMIC Contact

Fresno County Health Department

1221 Fulton Mall, 1st Floor

Fresno, CA 93721

(559) 600-3434

By Appointment only

Tuesday 8:00 am – 12:00 pm

Thursday 12:30 pm – 4:30pm

County Activists

Fresno Cannabis Association

Last updated July 2018

Glenn County

All commercial cannabis activity is banned in Glenn County, including dispensaries and deliveries.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Residents are allowed only to grow the state-allowed maximum of six plants indoors in a structure that complies with all building codes and required permits.

County Contacts

Planning Department

777 N. Colusa Street

Willows, CA 95988

Phone: (530) 934-6540

Fax: (530) 934-6533

planning@countyofglenn.net

MMIC Contact

Health Service Agency

240 N. Villa Ave

Willows, CA 95988

(530) 934-6588

By Appointment Only

Last updated July 2018

Humboldt County

Humboldt County allows all commercial cannabis activity and has some of the most progressive cannabis policies in the state.

Can I Purchase Cannabis from a Dispensary?

Both medical and adult-use dispensaries are allowed in the county.

Can I Get Delivery?

Absolutely.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The county has specific, fairly permissive rules for outdoor personal grows depending on parcel size and location, so look up the rules for your property here.

County Contacts

Cannabis Services Division

MMIC Contact

Department of Public Health

529 I Street

Eureka, CA 95501

(707) 445-6200

Monday – Friday, 8am – 5pm

County Activist Organizations

Humboldt County Cannabis Chamber of Commerce

Emerald Growers Association

Humboldt Norml

HIIMR

Last updated July 2018

Imperial County

Can I Purchase From A Dispensary Or Delivery?

Imperial County now allows both adult-use and medical deliveries and dispensaries. You can read their new cannabis ordinance here.

What Are The Rules For Growing My Own?

Personal cultivation is to take place indoor in residential zones only. The growing area can’t exceed 100 sq ft, and lighting is limited to no more than 50 amps. You can read the rest of the personal cultivation regulations here on page 2.

County Contacts

Imperial County Planning Department

MMIC Contact

Department of Public Health

935 Broadway

El Centro, CA 92243

(442) 265-1444

Monday – Friday, 9am – 12pm; 1pm – 4pm

Last updated July 2018

Inyo County

The Board voted on January 16, 2018 to adopt three ordinances that allow and regulate commercial cannabis activities. They became effective on February 16, 2018.

County Contacts

Michael Draper, Associate Planner: Inyo County Planning Department

(760) 878-0265

inyoplanning@inyocounty.us

MMIC Contact

Health and Human Services

207 A W. South Street

Bishop, CA 95314

(760) 873-7868

By Appointment Only

County Activist Organizations

Inyo County Cannabis Alliance

Last updated July 2018

Kern County

In October, Kern County voted to ban all commercial cannabis activity, including cultivation. This ban applies to both recreational and commercial activity. The 28 legal MMJ dispensaries in the county will have up to a year to continue operating; they’ll even be issued temporary licenses to operate by the county and the state.

Update: Kern Citizens For Patients Rights has qualified a ballot initiative that would allow commercial medical cannabis activity in the county. There is already an initiative on the ballot in Bakersfield that will allow commercial cannabis activity there. The Bakersfield initiative was qualified by KCPR as well. So your cannabis vote in Kern County is vital this November.

Can I Purchase Cannabis from a Dispensary or Delivery?

For a limited time, you’ll still be able to access cannabis through the medical program, but don’t expect Kern County to play nice with the remaining facilities.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Outdoor growing is strictly forbidden. Patients and recreational users can grow up to their allowed six plants inside only.

County Contacts

Shawn Beyeler

Supervising Planner

BeyelerS@kerncounty.com

Suzanne Hansen

Planner

HansenS@kerncounty.com

MMIC Contact

Department of Public Health

1800 Mount Vernon Avenue

Bakersfield, CA 93306

(661) 321-3000

Monday – Friday, 8am – 5pm

County Activist Organizations

Kern Citizens for Patient Rights

Last updated July 2018

Kings County

Kings County makes it explicitly clear that they’re banning every single use of cannabis to the full extent allowed by law. They even go to the point of confining smoking only to:

“a fully enclosed area of a private residence with the knowledge and consent of the person legally in possession thereof, and in a manner that is not in plain view from outside the residence, with no one present who is under the age of 21 or otherwise who does not consent to the smoking, ingesting, or consumption…”

Of course, they fail to make exceptions for a person under 21 who possesses an MMID. Hanford will allow cannabis business cultivation, but dispensaries are still outlawed.

Can I Purchase Cannabis from a Dispensary or Get Delivery?

Both dispensaries and delivery are explicitly outlawed in Kings County.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Growing area for cultivation is limited to a ridiculously small 32 feet, no matter how many people are cultivating at the residence, and is limited to a single area. Cultivation must be indoors, in a secure area, inside a primary residence or a detached building at the primary residence.

County Contacts

Indoor Cultivation Registration

MMIC Contacts

Department of Public Health – Vital Statistics

330 Campus Drive

Hanford, CA 93230

(559) 582-3211

Monday-Friday, 8am – 4pm

Last updated July 2018

Lake County

Lake County is currently in the process of developing an ordinance to allow medical cultivation and collectives. However, the ordinance hasn’t been fully implemented. At the moment, the county only allows certifications which permit the state licensing process to continue while they assess the impact of recent laws.

Can I Purchase Cannabis from a Dispensary?

You can still purchase medical cannabis from a dispensary, but not recreational.

Can I Get Delivery?

You’ll still be able to get medical delivery in the county.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Don’t expect to grow outdoors in the Community Growth Boundaries or in residential areas on parcels less than an acre. Residents can grow up to six mature plants or 12 immature plants per patient, but only on property where the grower or a qualified patient (for collective use) resides. You can read the current ordinance here.

County Contacts

Code Enforcement

Robert Massarelli, Director

255 N. Forbes Street

Third Floor, Rm 323

Lakeport, CA 95453

Phone: (707) 263-2309

Fax: (707) 263-2225

MMIC Contact

Health Services Department

922 Bevins Court

Lakeport, CA 95453

(707) 263-1090

Tuesday, 10am – 12pm

Thursday, 10am – 12pm

County Activist Organizations

Lake County Cannabis Growers Alliance

Lake County Growers

Last updated July 2018

Lassen County

Can I Purchase Cannabis from a Dispensary or Delivery Service?

Both commercial and non-commercial services are forbidden in Lassen County, with the exception of recreational and non-commercial medical cultivation.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Recreational cultivation is limited to six plants and must be grown indoors in an area that isn’t accessible to minors.

However, the county does allow cultivation of medical marijuana cannabis outdoors. Qualified patients and their caregivers are limited to a 250 square foot area and cultivation cannot be within 1,000 feet of the typical sensitive use areas. Outdoor medical cultivation is also limited to parcels larger than one acre. You can read more about their cultivation rules here.

County Contacts

Planning Department

707 Nevada St Ste 5,

Susanville, CA 96130

Phone: (530) 251-8269

MMID Contact

Lassen County Public Health

1445 Paul Bunyan Road

Susanville, CA 96130

(530) 251-8183

Tuesday, 1pm – 4pm

Last updated July 2018

Los Angeles County

Los Angeles County’s Office of Cannabis Management is planning on allowing commercial cannabis activity, but it’s going to take a while to develop regulations.

Update: Los Angeles County still hasn’t developed a comprehensive set of regulations to allow commercial cannabis activity. In fact, at their June 19, 2018 Board meeting, they developed a plan of attack to shut down the lingering unlicensed facilities in the county. You can watch the recorded proceedings here.

Can I Purchase Cannabis from a Dispensary or Get Delivery?

Los Angeles County currently bans all medical and non-medical cannabis businesses. The ban won’t be lifted until their comprehensive regulation framework is adopted. You can read answers to FAQs here at their Office of Cannabis Management website.

L.A. city allows both recreational and adult use dispensaries.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Residents can grow indoors or outdoors at single-family residences. No more than six plants are allowed, whether for personal or medical cultivation. Additionally:

No outdoor cultivation is permitted within 600 feet of a library, park, school, daycare center or youth center.

Outdoor cultivation is not permitted within a front yard, or within 10 feet of any property line.

Cultivation areas must be surrounded by an opaque fence or wall at least six feet high.

Plants may not exceed six feet in height.

You can learn more about personal cultivation rules here.

County Contacts

Office of Cannabis Management

MMID Contact

L.A. County Department of Public Health

Environmental Health

5050 Commerce Drive

Baldwin Park, CA 91706

Phone: (866) 621-2204

Monday – Friday, 8am – 4:30pm

County Activist Organizations

LA Norml

Patient Advocacy Network

Last updated July 2018

Madera County

Madera County is among the many that choose to prohibit commercial cannabis. Their recent proposed ordinance update in November is continuing the ban.

Can I Purchase Cannabis from a Dispensary or Delivery Service?

Both recreational and medical commercial cannabis businesses are prohibited, although the county’s ordinance does allow medical collectives compliant with SB420 rules.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Cultivation must be indoors either in a room in the house that’s no larger than 120 square feet, or in an area no larger than 120 square feet in a separate building. There’s no growing in commercial or industrial zones, and the cultivation location must be where the grower or provider resides.

The county also prohibits cultivation within 2,000 feet of a church, school or other public building. You can read more about the cultivation rules here.

County Contacts

Planning Department

200 W. 4th St. Suite 3100

Madera, CA 93637

Phone: (559) 675-7821

Fax: (559) 675-6573

MMIC Contact

County Public Health Department

14215 Road 28

Madera, CA 93638

(559) 675-7893

Mondays, 8:30 am – 11:30 am

Last updated July 2018

Marin County

Marin County bans any cannabis business that would require a state license under the AUMA, except for medical delivery.

Can I Purchase Cannabis from a Dispensary or Delivery Service?

The county passed a delivery-only ordinance, approving up to four commercial medical delivery-only services.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Marin expressly prohibits outdoor cultivation for both medical and recreational use. And it’s a bad idea to grow GMO cannabis because it’s banned. They are still updating their regulations, so it’s probably best to contact the county for instructions before you set up any indoor cultivation for your allowed six plants. To find out more, you can contact their Program Manager, Inge Lundegaard at 415-473-7023. It is highly advised that you discuss your plans with them before you start as their ordinances impose misdemeanor penalties for some violations.

County Contacts

Adult Use Cannabis Program

Medical Cannabis Program

MMIC Contact

Department of Health & Human Services

Office of Vital Records

10 North San Pedro Road, Room 1014

San Rafael, CA 94903

(415) 473-3288

Monday – Friday, 9am – 12pm; 1pm – 4pm

County Activist Organizations

Veterans Cannabis Group

Last updated July 2018

Mariposa County

Mariposa County prohibits “any activity and use within Mariposa County for which a license is required pursuant to CA Business and Professions Code Division 10, as it may be amended, including: commercial or not-for-profit cultivation, processing, manufacture, wholesale or
retail sale, and public consumption of marijuana or derivative products (Ordinance 2017-1129 and Resolution 17-678)”

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Mariposa County allows you to grow your six state-allowed plants for recreational use either indoors or outside, so long as the area isn’t publicly visible.

They also have a fairly permissive policy compared to other counties for outdoor medical cultivation under the Compassionate Use Act. Up to 24 plants can be grown on a single parcel outdoors if two patients reside there. They even allow setback waivers if existing setbacks would pose a hardship for patients. There are some additional limits which you can read about here.

County Contacts

Planning Department

5100 Bullion St # 1

Mariposa, CA 95338

(209) 966-5151

MMIC Contact

Mariposa County Health Department

5085 Bullion Street

Mariposa, CA 95338

(209) 966-3689

Monday – Friday, 8am – 5pm and Thursday, by appointment only

Last updated July 2018

Mendocino County

Mendocino County has completed their commercial cultivation ordinances, but they are still working on the ordinances that will allow other commercial cannabis activity.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Personal adult-use cultivation must now take place indoors on parcels less than ten acres, and is limited to six plants.

A patient cultivation site is limited to 100 square feet per patient, with a maximum of two patients per caregiver. You can read about the additional restrictions for personal cultivation and medical cultivation here.

County Contacts

Cannabis Working Group

Planning Commission

MMIC Contact

Department of Public Health

1120 South Dora Street

Ukiah, CA 95482

(707) 472-2784

Tuesday, 2pm – 6pm

Thursday, by appointment only

Last updated July 2018

Merced County

Merced County bans all commercial cannabis activity; however, the city of Merced itself allows all commercial activity, and since the unincorporated county allows deliveries into the unincorporated areas, access isn’t too limited.

Can I Purchase Cannabis from a Dispensary?

Dispensaries are banned.

Can I Get Delivery?

Merced county is allowing delivery of medical cannabis so long as the delivery service is state licensed outside of the county and registers with the sheriff first.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Merced county used to allow cultivation outdoors, but recently moved all cultivation indoors and limited personal medical grows to six plants. They rescinded outdoor growing at the urging of their sheriff, citing concerns over increased criminal activity.

There are additional restrictions on personal cultivation you should read about here before beginning grow. Personal medical grows have been severely restricted from their previous ordinance.

County Contacts

Planning Department

2222 M St.

Merced, CA 95340

(209) 385-7654

MMIC Contact

Department of Public Health

260 East 15th Street

Merced, CA 95340

(209) 381-1015

Los Banos: Tuesday, 1pm – 4pm

Merced: Wednesday, 9am – 4pm

Last updated July 2018

Modoc County

Modoc county bans all cannabis activity to the fullest extent of the law.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Medical cultivation is still limited to 12 plants total per patient for two patients maximum at the residence of the primary caregiver or the primary patient. Cultivation may be done indoors, but only in an accessory structure. You can read more about cultivation restrictions here. The county has not yet clarified cultivation rules for personal recreational grows.

County Contacts

Planning Department

203 W 4th St.

Alturas, CA 96101

(530) 233-6406

MMIC Contact

Department of Public Health

441 North Main Street

Alturas, CA 96101

(530) 233-6311

Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 5pm

By Appointment Only

Last updated July 2018

Mono County

Can I Purchase Cannabis from a Dispensary?

Yes. Both medical and recreational dispensaries are allowed. Dispensary operation hours are from 9AM to 9PM.

Can I Purchase Cannabis from a Delivery Service?

No. “All sales and dispensing of cannabis and cannabis products shall be conducted in-person and entirely within the licensed premises of the cannabis retailer. The delivery of any cannabis or cannabis products by a licensee to a consumer
is prohibited within the unincorporated area of the County.” You can read the dispensary regulations here on page 28.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Primary caregivers who cultivate for others are required to register with the county, but otherwise, personal cultivation refers back to state law. This means that your 6 adult use plants can be grown outdoors in an enclosed, locked area. You can read the regulations here on page 12.

County Contacts

Planning Division

Mammoth Lakes Office

437 Old Mammoth Rd., Ste 220 (formerly Ste P)

P.O. Box 347

Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546

Phone: (760) 924-1800

Fax: (760) 924-1801

Bridgeport Office

Annex 1

74 N. School St.

PO Box 8

Bridgeport, CA 93517

Phone: (760) 932-542

Fax: (760) 932-5431

MMIC Contact

Mono County Health Department

437 Old Mammoth Road, #Q

Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546

(760) 924-1830

Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 5pm

By Appointment Only

County Activist Organizations

Antelope Valley Cannabis Association

Last updated July 2018

Monterey County

Can I Purchase Cannabis from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Yes. Both adult use and medical dispensaries and deliveries are allowed in the county now. You can read their commercial cannabis ordinance here.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Cultivation for personal use is limited to six plants and 100 square feet. Personal medical cultivation is exempt from the county’s commercial cultivation licensing requirements so long as the cultivator receives no remuneration for the services. There are additional personal cultivation requirements that you can read here on page 28. Outdoor cultivation is prohibited.

County Contacts

Planning Department

MMIC Contact

Monterey County Health Department

Vital Records

1270 Natividad Road

Salinas, CA 93906

(831) 755-4520

By Appointment Only

County Activist Organizations

Monterey County Cannabis Industry Association

Coastal Growers Association

Monterey County Norml

Big Sur Farmers Association

Last updated August 2018

Napa County

Napa County hasn’t decided where they’ll fall on cannabis regulations. They’ve been holding a series of roundtables on the subject, but it’ll be well into next year before they even pass an ordinance covering personal cultivation.

The county has a temporary moratorium banning all commercial cannabis activity while they continue to discuss the issue. Learn more about existing personal medical marijuana cultivation rules here.

County Contacts

Planning Division

1195 Third St., 2nd Floor

Napa, CA 94559

Phone: (707) 253-4417

Fax: (707) 253-4545

MMIC CONTACT

Department of Public Health

2751 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Bldg. B

Napa, CA 94588

(707) 253-4506

Thursday, 2pm-4pm

By Appointment Only

Last updated July 2018

Nevada County

Can I Purchase Cannabis from a Dispensary or Delivery Service?

Nevada County bans all commercial cannabis activity, but Nevada City has decided to allow one medical dispensary with options for more.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Nevada County’s code only allows indoor cultivation of personal recreational cannabis, and growers are limited to six plants. Stipulations include:

The six plant limit applies to each private residence, no matter how many cultivators live there.

Cultivation can take place inside a house, but the area must not be accessible to children.

If setback limits for medical cultivation in the same area would prohibit cultivation, the grower will be exempt. Otherwise, they’re required to try to adhere to the same setbacks as medical cultivation.

The six recreational plants cannot be added to medical plant totals.

You can read the medical cannabis cultivation rules here.

County Contacts

Planning Department

950 Maidu Ave.

Nevada City, CA 95959

(530) 265-1222

MMIC Contact

Department of Public Health

500 Crown Point Circle, Ste. 110

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 265-1450

Monday – Friday, 8am – 5pm

By Appointment Only

County Activist Organizations

Nevada County Cannabis Alliance

Last updated July 2018

Orange County

In a pretty predictable move, Orange County voted to ban commercial cannabis activity in November, 2017. The county seat of Santa Ana, however, is allowing 30 recreational shops. Most other cities in Orange County have chosen to ban as well, with the exception of Costa Mesa, which has approved research, testing, processing and manufacturing in certain areas.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Personal cultivation “shall not exceed the number of living plants permitted by California Health and Safety Code Sections 11362.1 and 11362.2. Personal cannabis cultivation is limited solely to inside a person’s private residence, or inside an accessory structure to a private residence located on the grounds of the private residence, that is fully enclosed and secure. Personal cannabis cultivation is expressly prohibited outdoors upon the grounds of any private residence or any other outdoor location within unincorporated county.” You can read their ordinance here.

County Contacts

Orange County Planning Department

MMIC Contact

Department of Health

1200 N. Main Street #100-A

Santa Ana, CA 92701

(714) 480-6712

Monday – Friday, 8am – 12pm; 1pm – 4pm

County Activist Organizations

Orange County Norml

Last updated July 2018

Placer County

Placer County doesn’t look like it’ll be allowing commercial cannabis activities any time soon. At the moment, all commercial cannabis activity is banned.

Can I Purchase Cannabis from a Dispensary?

Placer County doesn’t allow dispensaries, but the city of Colfax has voted to allow their sole medical marijuana dispensary to re-open.

Can I Get Delivery?

Commercial recreational activity and medical delivery are specifically prohibited. Primary caregivers are permitted to deliver medical cannabis to their own qualified patients only.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

“A maximum of six plants on no more than fifty (50) square feet in total is allowed for outdoor cultivation of non-medical cannabis per parcel with a private residence.”

Basically, the code applies the same setbacks and cultivation size limitations to recreational cannabis as it does to medical use. You can read an overview of their cultivation limitations here.

County Contacts

Planning Department

3091 County Center Dr # 140

Auburn, CA 95603

(530) 745-3000

MMIC Contact

Community Health

11484 B Avenue

Auburn, CA 95603

(530) 889-7158

Monday – Friday, 8am – 11:30am; 1pm – 4:30pm

By Appointment Only

Last updated July 2018

Plumas County

Plumas County is still working on its draft ordinance to regulate commercial cannabis activity, personal cannabis cultivation and medical cultivation. Meanwhile, the county’s still under a moratorium.

Medical cultivation of up to 100 square feet is still permitted, and up to 500 square feet for patient caregivers (up to five patients). This ordinance has already been renewed and is temporary, so expect a change in the rules in 2018. You can read the full moratorium here.

County Contacts

Cannabis Workgroup

MMIC Contact

Public Health Agency

270 County Hospital Road, Suite 111

Quincy, CA 95971

(530) 283-6330

By Appointment Only

Last updated July 2018

Riverside County

Riverside County has five cities that allow and regulate cannabis activity, but they chose to continue their moratorium until September, 2018. Exceptions are made for patients and caregivers, and all Californians are allowed to grow six plants indoors. Delivery into the unincorporated areas of the county is expressly banned as well.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Riverside County still allows indoor or outdoor cultivation of 12 plants per qualified patients, with cultivation for up to two patients per residence. Personal cultivation of six plants needs to be either indoors or in a fully enclosed, locked area.

You can read a summary of the rules here and ordinance 925, which still governs personal medical cultivation here. Commercial cultivation and all other commercial activity is banned per Ordinance 348 (page 37) for now.

County Contacts

Riverside Office

Riverside Co. Planning Department

4080 Lemon St.

P.O. Box 1409

Riverside, CA 92502-1409

(951) 955-3200

Palm Desert Office

Riverside Co. Planning Department

77588 El Duna Ct., Suite H

Palm Desert, CA 92211

(760) 863-8277

MMIC Contact

Department of Public Health

4065 County Circle Drive, 2nd Floor Room 207

Riverside, CA 92503

(888) 358-7932

Monday – Wednesday

7:30am to 12:00pm and 1:00pm to 3:30pm

County Activist Organizations

Brownie Mary Democratic Club

Last updated July 2018

Sacramento County

All commercial activity is still banned for now, but residents do have a unique cultivation bonus in Sacramento County. Before Prop 64 was passed, medical patients were allowed to cultivate up to 9 cannabis plants only indoors. The county has decided to keep this allowance for personal, non-medical cultivation as well.

You can take a look at Sacramento County’s most frequently asked questions regarding their cannabis ordinances here.

County Contacts

Planning Department

827 7th St.

Sacramento, CA 95814

(916) 874-6141

MMIC Contact

Department of Health and Human Services

7001 A East Parkway, Suite 650

Sacramento, CA 95823

(916) 875-5345

Wednesday, 9am – 4pm

Friday, 9am – 4pm

By Appointment Only

County Activist Organizations

California Cannabis Industry Association

Last updated July 2018

San Benito County

Can I Purchase Cannabis from a Dispensary or Delivery Service?

All cannabis business activities are banned in San Benito County, including cannabis delivery and dispensaries.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Residents are limited to six plants unless the register as caregivers with the county. All cannabis must be grown indoors. You can read the personal cultivation ordinance here.

County Contacts

Planning Department

MMIC Contacts

Department of Health & Human Services

439 Fourth Street

Hollister, CA 95023

(831) 637-5367

1st & 3rd Tuesday of the month, 1:30pm – 4pm

Last updated July 2018

San Bernardino County

Adelanto may have created one of the state’s first serious commercial cannabis ordinances in Southern California, but the county itself is still banning it all. All dispensaries and deliveries are banned, including deliveries into the unincorporated parts of the county from dispensaries licensed outside of the county.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

All cultivation must be indoors at the residence of the patient or provider. Indoor non-commercial medical grows are allowed up to 12 plants for one patient or a total of 24 plants for two patients.

County Contacts

Planning Department

MMIC Contact

Department of Public Health

340 North Mountain View Avenue

San Bernardino, CA 92415

(800) 782-4264

Monday – Friday, 9am – 4pm

By Appointment Only

Last updated July 2018

San Diego County

San Diego County chose to ban any new medical marijuana collectives in the city that weren’t approved before April 14, 2017. The remaining facilities left open must close by 2022 if a new ordinance allowing activity has not been passed by then. The ban sparked a lawsuit by several businesses that have already invested millions of dollars to comply with the county’s previous regulations.

The San Diego City Council has decided to fully embrace legalization, allowing all types of commercial cannabis activity allowed by state law. The Council’s most recent vote to allow testing, manufacturing and cultivation for recreational use passed in September.

The city already has recreational businesses which have received state temporary licenses as well. So no matter what San Diego decides, you’ll have access to legal cannabis on Jan. 2, 2018, until they sell out. La Mesa and Lemon Grove are also allowing dispensaries.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

San Diego County hasn’t clarified personal cultivation rules yet, but the City of San Diego limits personal cultivation to indoor only and no more than 64 square feet are allotted for six plants. CO2 is prohibited for cultivation or processing. You can read the city’s full ordinance here. Personal cultivation rules are on page 3.

County Contacts

Planning Department

5510 Overland Ave.

San Diego, CA 92123

(858) 694-2960

MMIC Contact

Public Health Services

3851 Rosecrans Street, Suite 802

San Diego, CA 92110

(619) 692-5723

Monday – Friday, 8am – 4pm

County Activist Organizations

San Diego County Norml

Association of Cannabis Professionals

Pediatric Cannabis Support

Last updated July 2018

San Francisco County

San Francisco voted on Dec. 5th, 2017 to finalize regulations allowing for recreational sales. The ordinance is 101 pages long, so it would be difficult to summarize here. You can read it at this link.

Luckily, the city has a short rundown of the regulations here.

Can I Buy From a Dispensary or Delivery Service?

Yes, both adult use and recreational cannabis delivery and dispensaries are allowed in San Francisco.

What Are the Rules For Growing My Own?

“You can grow, harvest, dry, and process up to 6 cannabis plants in your home or in a locked and enclosed yard that is not visible to the public, and only if the property owner approves.”

County Contacts

Cannabis Legalization Taskforce

MMIC Contact

Department of Public Health

101 Grove Street, Room 105

San Francisco, CA 94102

(415) 206-5555

Monday, Wednesday, Friday Only, 1pm – 4pm

County Activist Organizations

Brownie Mary Democratic Club

Last updated July 2018

San Joaquin County

San Joaquin County still has a ban in force, but expects to have new regulations developed very soon as they overturned their ban on commercial cannabis in August. Meanwhile, County Counsel Mark Myles insists that any commercial cannabis activity conducted in the county is criminal.

Update: The county has a tax measure on the November 2018 ballot and is moving forward with potential regulations. You can read these potential regulations here. Since the regulations are still in flux and could change any day, check with the county before you begin any new personal cannabis cultivation. You can read the potential new personal cultivation rules here. The proposed ordinance only allows six plants indoor per household and imposes a fine of $1,000 for each additional plant above six. No outdoor cultivation would be allowed. The ordinance is set for a vote on August 7, 2018, and if approved, would become effective 30 days later.

County Contacts

Mark Myles: San Joaquin County Counsel

(209) 486-2980

jmyles@sjgov.org

MMIC Contact

San Joaquin County

Public Health Services

1601 E. Hazelton Avenue

Stockton, CA 95205

(209) 468-3404

Monday – Friday, 8am – 5pm

By appointment only

Last updated July 2018

San Luis Obispo County

Can I Purchase Cannabis from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Currently SLO only allows for medical and adult-use delivery (Type 9 state license). Their ordinance prohibits brick and mortar dispensaries.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

“Personal Cultivation. Six cannabis plants, grown indoors, per dwelling unit, for personal use, are exempt from obtaining a land use permit. Six cannabis plants, grown indoors, per site, by a caregiver are exempt from obtaining a land use permit. Caregivers are required to obtain a County business license. No outdoor personal or caregiver cultivation is allowed.”

All others cultivation activity will be required to obtain a commercial license.

County Contacts

Administrative Office

MMIC Contact

Department of Public Health

2191 Johnson Avenue

San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

(805) 781-5514

Monday – Friday, 8am – 4pm

County Activist Organizations

SLO County Cannabis Business Association

Last updated July 2018

San Mateo County

San Mateo County voted to allow commercial cultivation, but their interim ordinance bans commercial cannabis dispensaries. The ordinance does not ban deliveries into the county from dispensaries licensed in other municipalities, so this provides an option for residents who wish to purchase adult use and medical cannabis without driving long distances to the nearest dispensary.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Under the ban,

“indoor planting, cultivation, harvesting, drying, or processing of marijuana plants for nonmedical use is limited to residential districts, is limited to six (6) plants per residence, and must be entirely for the personal use of a resident of the residence who is twenty-one (21) years of age or older. The County reserves the right to enact regulations regarding the indoor cultivation of marijuana at a later date.”

County Contacts

Planning Department

455 County Center

Redwood City, CA 94063

(650) 363-4161

MMIC Contact

Health System

Office of Vital Statistics

225 37th Avenue, Room 11

San Mateo, CA 94403

(650) 573-2395

Monday – Wednesday, 8am – 5pm

Thursday, 8am – 4pm

Friday, 8am – 5pm

Last updated July 2018

Santa Barbara County

Can I Purchase From a Dispensary or Delivery Service?

Santa Barbara County now allows all commercial cannabis activity, including recreational and medical dispensaries and delivery services.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Cultivation of your six plants must take place inside a “legally established, secure dwelling or an enclosed, legally established, secure building that is accessory to a dwelling.” Only residents 21 and over can cultivate. You can view their frequently asked questions here.

County Contacts

Planning Department

MMIC Contacts

Department of Public Health

345 Camino Del Remedio, Room 320

Santa Barbara, CA 93110

(805) 681-5150

Monday – Friday, 9am – 11am; 1pm – 4pm

County Activist Organizations

Cannabis Business Council

Last updated July 2018

Santa Clara County

Currently, recreational and medical commercial cannabis is prohibited under a temporary ban that can be extended for up to two years. The county has a frequently asked questions page regarding ordinances. The city of San Jose allows its medical marijuana dispensaries to sell recreational marijuana, so county residents will be able to shop there instead.

Can I Get Delivery?

No. Delivery to addresses in the unincorporated county are banned.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The county has relatively complex personal cultivation rules so you’ll need to review them thoroughly before you start. In short, the regulations allow residents to:

Grow cannabis indoors, for non-medical purposes: no more than six plants, subject to reasonable regulations. They must be grown within a single space no larger than 50 square feet in a single room or in a fully-enclosed and secure accessory structure.

Grow cannabis indoors, for medical purposes: a single layer of plants in a space no larger than 50 square feet, in a single room or in a fully-enclosed and secure accessory structure, subject to reasonable regulations.

Grow outdoors, for medical purposes: up to twelve plants, subject to reasonable regulations.

County Contacts

Planning Department

70 W Hedding St.

San Jose, CA 95110

(408) 299-5770

MMIC Contact

Department of Public Health

976 Lenzen Avenue, Second Floor

San Jose, CA 95126

(408) 792-5065

By Appointment Only

County Activist Organizations

Santa Clara Norml

Last updated July 2018

Santa Cruz County

Can I Purchase From a Dispensary?

Yes. Santa Cruz County allows both medical and recreational dispensaries.

Can I Get Delivery?

No. The county only allows store-front dispensaries.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

A qualified patient or a person holding a valid identification card, or the designated primary caregiver of that qualified patient or person, may cultivate cannabis in an amount not to exceed more than 100 square feet of total garden canopy, as measured by the combined vegetative growth area.

All personal adult use cannabis must be grown indoors, which can include an accessory greenhouse. You can view the personal adult-use cultivation regulations here.

Taxes

Santa Cruz County charges a 7% tax for all cannabis businesses. This will set the total retail tax for adult use at 30.5% (15% excise, 7% local and 8.5% state sales tax). Total medical retail tax will be 22% (15% excise and 7% local).

County Contacts

Planning Department

701 Ocean St,

Santa Cruz, CA 95060

(831) 454-2580

MMIC Contact

Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency

Medical Marijuana Program

Santa Cruz, CA

(831) 454-3431

Call for appointment and directions

Tuesday, 1pm – 4pm

Wednesday, 1pm – 4pm

County Activist Organizations

Silicon Valley Cannabis Alliance

Last updated July 2018

Shasta County

Shasta County prohibits all commercial cannabis activity.

Can I Get Delivery?

Non-commercial medical delivery is allowed in the county, but commercial deliveries are prohibited.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The county has some extremely restrictive cultivation rules for medical cannabis, requiring the construction of a fully compliant accessory structure for a maximum of 12 plants. Their ordinance doesn’t address personal adult-use cultivation.

County Contacts

Planning Department

1855 Placer St # 103

Redding, CA 96001

(530) 225-5532

MMIC Contact

Health and Human Services

Office of the Director

2615 Breslauer Way

Redding, CA 96001

Last updated July 2018

Sierra County

Sierra County bans all commercial cannabis activity in the county. However, they provide a specific exemption for delivery services. Therefore, residents can order both adult-use and medical cannabis via delivery in the unincorporated areas of the county.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Compared to other counties, Sierra County now has one of the most permissive growing ordinances in the state. It allows medical cannabis patients to grow up to 18 plants outdoors, and caregivers to grow up to 72 total for four patients. There county attempted to pass an ordinance that would have greatly restricted cultivation, but it was soundly defeated by a successful referendum challenge. You can read the rest of Sierra’s cultivation rules here.

County Contacts

Planning Department

101 Courthouse Sq,

Downieville, CA 95936

MMIC Contact

Department of Health

202 Front Street

Loyalton, CA 96118

(530) 993-6701

By Appointment Only

County Activist Organizations

Sierra County Growers Association

Last updated July 2018

Siskiyou County

All commercial cannabis activities are prohibited by moratorium in Siskiyou County. This moratorium was extended yet again on July 10, 2018 for another year.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Only non-profit collective cannabis cultivation is allowed. However, the current sheriff has declared an emergency over the influx of Hmong growers. Enforcement efforts are still in full force against local growers. Some say the sheriff’s enforcement attempts are racially motivated, but whatever their motivation, cultivation limitations should be taken very seriously.

County Contacts

Planning Department

806 S Main St.

Yreka, CA 96097

(530) 841-2100

MMIC Contact

County Public Health and Community Development

806 South Main Street

Yreka, CA 96097

(530) 841-2134

By Appointment Only

Last updated July 2018

Solano County

Solano County is considering commercial cannabis businesses, but they have not made a decision yet. Meanwhile, all commercial cannabis businesses are prohibited by their moratorium. Expect changes to their ordinances in the very near future.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

The county allows patients to cultivate 100 square feet indoors only for their personal medical use. They also allow primary caregivers up to 500 square feet indoors only for up to five patients (100 square feet per patient).

Personal adult use cultivation is limited to six plants in 100 square feet area indoors. They’re considering a new proposed ordinance that will allow medical or adult use cultivation indoors, outdoors or in an accessory structure, but the ordinance has not been voted on yet.

County Contacts

Planning Department

Last updated July 2018

Sonoma County

Sonoma county has taken a very proactive approach toward the new cannabis regulations by providing comprehensive information links for frequently asked questions and policy changes. There’s also a link for residents to check their city ordinances. A recent news story reports that cannabis businesses are flocking to Santa Rosa because of these welcoming regulations.

Can I Purchase Cannabis from a Dispensary?

Sonoma County is allowing no more than nine medical cannabis dispensaries. Adult-use dispensaries and deliveries are still prohibited.

Can I Get Delivery?

Medical only.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Sonoma has a very clear cut fact sheet regarding their personal cultivation regulations. Currently cannabis can be grown outdoors anywhere except multi-family units or R2 and R3 residential zones. Outdoor grows can’t be visible from public streets or walkways and can’t be located in front or side yard setback areas.

Indoor grows must be in a separate, accessory structure that complies with all building codes. You can check the link for a more in-depth description of the regulations.

County Contacts

Planning Division

MMIC Contact

Department of Public Health

275 Beck Avenue, MS 5-185

Fairfield, Ca 94533

(707) 784-8060

Business Hours:

Monday – Friday, 8am – 3:30pm

Activist Groups in the Area

Cannabis Advisory Group Meetings

Sonoma County Grower’s Alliance

Last updated July 2018

Stanislaus County

Stanislaus County is fully embracing the commercial sales of recreational and medical cannabis. They will be offering every type of permit that the state allows.

Can I Purchase Cannabis from a Dispensary or Delivery?

You definitely will, but Stanislaus has not solidified its selection process yet. Expect the county to begin issuing permits around the middle of 2018, so you should be able to make commercial purchases by fall. Meanwhile, until they open up, cannabis activities are prohibited.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Oddly, cannabis cultivation for any purpose is supposedly prohibited in the county as well, but likely the ordinance needs to be updated to reflect current state law. Title 9 Chapter 9.86.050 “Cannabis cultivation for any purpose is prohibited in the unincorporated areas of the county. (Ord. CS 1170 §2, 2016).”

County Contacts

Planning Department

Last updated July 2018

Sutter County

Sutter County bans all commercial businesses and bans dispensaries and delivery. There has been recent talk about moving toward commercialization in the county, but the item was pulled from the agenda. It should come back to the agenda soon.

Sutter is also one of only two counties in the state (the other one is Colusa), that won’t issue an MMID, which makes it literally impossible for residents of the county to qualify for the state’s tax exemption even if they are medical use and in need.

Personal cultivation rules for Sutter are much the same as they are for Tehama, in that they have very stringent power requirements and the use of an accessory structures is required. Growers must also notify the county of their intent and have all improvements inspected and approved by the county. You can read more about the requirements for personal and recreational grows here.

County Contacts

Planning Department

1130 Civic Center Blvd.

Yuba City, CA 95993

Phone: (530) 822-7400

Fax: (530) 822-7109

Last updated July 2018

Tehama County

Tehema County is extremely restrictive and has only gotten more so with Prop 64. Dispensaries are banned. Commercial cannabis activity is banned. For all intents and purposes, Tehema’s ordinance imposes an outright ban on all cultivation including the state-allowed amount.

Medical patients could once grow 12 plants, but are now limited to six along with recreational growers. This is a moot point, however, since all grows must be inside a county-approved accessory structure. The maximum electrical panel allowed for the structure is only 50 amps. Generators aren’t allowed, and all electrical work must be inspected and approved. Light systems are limited to 1,200 watts.

Worse, even though the cultivation occurs in a secured, alarmed, fully enclosed structure shielded from public view with filtration systems, the edge of the property line where the cannabis is being cultivated cannot be within 1,000 feet of a school, school bus stop, school evacuation site, church, park, child care center, or youth oriented facility–unless the grower can somehow obtain a waiver to grow after building a several thousand dollar accessory structure.

In other words, Tehama county is effectively under a complete ban. The good news is that Tehama is in the process of developing an alternative commercial ordinance with input from the community. You can read the proposed ordinance starting on page 321 of this agenda packet.

County Contacts

Planning Department

444 Oak St # I

Red Bluff, CA 96080

(530) 527-2200

Last updated July 2018

Trinity County

Trinity County has decided to embrace legalization and adopted a commercial cultivation ordinance to that effect in October. They still haven’t created an ordinance to legalize dispensaries or other commercial cannabis activities yet.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

It’s against the law to grow GMO crops in Trinity too, so make sure your cannabis is not genetically modified. The current personal medical marijuana ordinance is not up-to-date yet because it limits anyone with less than one acre to two plants, but you can read their existing rules here. There are no prohibitions on growing the six plants outdoors for personal use yet.

County Contacts

Planning Department

Last updated July 2018

Tulare County

Currently, Tulare County is currently banning all commercial cannabis activity. However, the cities of Woodlake and Farmersville will be allowing full medical and recreational sales. Businesses won’t be ready to open at the beginning of the year, but should be opening within a couple of months.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Like many counties, Tulare has not yet codified personal cultivation restrictions. Medical patients are allowed to grow up to six mature plants or 12 immature plants for their own use.

County Contacts

Planning Department

5961 S Mooney Blvd

Visalia, CA 93277

(559) 733-6254

Last updated July 2018

Tuolumne County

Tuolumne County is reversing its permissive stance on cannabis cultivation to severely restrict medical access. They voted in September, 2017, to ban all outdoor cultivation and reduce the number of indoor plants to six, no matter whether they are for medical use or recreational.

Currently Tuolumne’s residents are allowed to grow up to 24 plants indoors and 12 outdoors for one patient, and up to 24 outdoors for two patients, but don’t expect this ordinance to remain intact. Currently dispensaries and other commercial activity is banned in the county as well. Sonora, the county seat, is considering an ordinance that will allow commercial activity.

County Contacts

Planning Department

A.N. Francisco Building

48 Yaney St.

Floors 3 and 4

Sonora, CA 95370

Phone: (209) 533-5633

Fax: (209) 533-5616

MMIC Contact

Department of Health

20111 Cedar Road N

Sonora, CA 95370

(209) 533-7401

Business Hours:

Monday – Friday, 8am – 5pm

County Activist Organizations

Tuolumne Cannabis Alliance

Last updated July 2018

Ventura County

Currently, commercial sales are banned, but Ventura’s code specifically allows medical cannabis dispensaries and deliveries that don’t require a commercial license. Port Hueneme is set to become the first city in Ventura County to allow commercial adult use and medical cannabis businesses, so residents should expect to see improvement to access soon.

Additionally, its citizens are allowed to cultivate their six plants for personal use outdoors while most incorporated and unincorporated areas of the county do not.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Ventura County’s cultivation ban does not apply to medical patients. There was an interim ordinance banning outdoor cultivation for recreational purposes, but it’is unknown if that’s been continued. The ordinance has not yet been properly amended to specifically address personal cultivation.

County Contacts

Planning Department

800 S Victoria Ave.

Ventura, CA 93009

(805) 654-2488

MMIC Contact

Ventura County Public Health

2220 East Gonzales Road Suite 200

Oxnard, CA 93036

(805) 981-5301

Business Hours:

Monday – Friday, 9am – 4pm

By Appointment Only

County Activist Organizations

Ventura County Cannabis Alliance

Last updated July 2018

Yolo County

Yolo County was originally leading the pack to legalization, signing on for an experimental track and trace program and allowing large medical grows. Now they’re considering a complete 180 on their policies. Talk of a total ban is very recent, so Yolo could fall in either direction. It won’t be known until some time later in 2018 what direction the county will choose.

Can I Purchase Cannabis from a Dispensary or by Delivery?

Yolo County only allows commercial medical cultivation, but the city of Davis is going full commercial. You will be able to purchase recreational cannabis from four dispensaries or via delivery once the city and state completes their licensing process.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Yolo county allows for commercial cultivation of up to one acre. The code addresses restrictions for cultivation here, but expect that these ordinances will change in the near future.

County Contacts

Planning Department

292 W Beamer St.

Woodland, CA 95695

(530) 666-8775

MMIC Contact

Department of Health

137 North Cottonwood Street, Suite 2100

Woodland, CA 95695

(530) 666-8645

Business Hours:

Monday – Friday, 8am – 5pm

County Activist Organizations

Yolo County Cannabis Coalition

Last updated July 2018

Yuba County

Yuba County’s cannabis rules have been a hotly contested issue since 2011, and issues don’t look to be settled yet.

Can I Purchase Cannabis from a Dispensary or Delivery?

Yuba County will not allow any commercial cannabis activity at this time. Marysville was considering allowing commercial activity, but it looks like they will decide against it. They have approved two medical marijuana dispensaries, but it is still unknown when they will open.

What Are the Rules for Growing My Own?

Yuba County has some of the most severe cannabis regulations in the state. The only new relief given by their most recent ordinance is that cultivation can take place in a house or accessory structure, rather than a fully permitted accessory structure only.

Whether for medical or recreational purposes, personal grows are limited to six plants only, whether mature or immature, and no matter how many qualified patients live on the property. You can read more of Yuba’s cultivation ordinances here.

County Contacts

Planning Department

915 8th St., Suite 123

Marysville, CA 95901

Phone: (530) 749-5470

Fax: (530) 749-5434

planning@co.yuba.ca.us

MMIC Contact

Yuba County Health and Human Services

5730 Packard Avenue 100

Marysville, CA 95901

(530) 749-6366

Business Hours:

By Appointment Only

Last updated July 2018

Further Reading

Want to stay up-to-date on the latest legal changes that’ll affect your cannabis use? Read these articles and be ready for the new marijuana business arriving this year.

How to Get a Medical Marijuana Card in 2018

T he Complete Q&A List for California’s 2018 Cannabis Regulations

2018 Brings New Challenges to the Federal Government’s Cannabis Law

Jeff Sessions Rescinds Cole Memo

Author Archives: Deb Tharp

About Deb Tharp

The badass women you'll meet in this post:

Maya Elisabeth

Founder, Om Edibles; founder, Whoopi & Maya

Jane West

CEO, Jane West; founder, Women Grow; founder, Edible Events

Jodie Emery

Aliza Sherman & Ashley Kingsley

Co-Founders of Ellementa

Ophelia Chong

Photographer & Founder, Stock Pot Images

Molly Peckler

Founder, Highly Devoted (cannabis matchmaking)

Kandice Hawes-Lopez

Executive Director, Orange County NORML

Learn about California's Cannabis Regulations in:

Alameda County

Alpine County

Amador County

Butte County

Calaveras County

Colusa County

Contra Costa County

Del Norte County

El Dorado County

Fresno County

Glenn County

Humboldt County

Imperial County

Inyo County

Kern County

Kings County

Lake County

Lassen County

Los Angeles County

Madera County

Marin County

Mariposa County

Mendocino County

Merced County

Modoc County

Mono County

Monterey County

Napa County

Nevada County

Orange County

Placer County

Plumas County

Riverside County

Sacramento County

San Benito County

San Bernardino County

San Diego County

San Luis Obispo County

San Mateo County

San Francisco County

Santa Barbara County

Santa Clara County

Santa Cruz County

Shasta County

Sierra County

Siskiyou County

Solano County

Sonoma County

Stanislaus County

Sutter County

Tehama County

Trinity County

Tulare County

Tuolumne County

Ventura County

Yolo County

Yuba County

What you'll learn in this post:

Putting the Problem in Perspective

It’s Exactly What Cannabis Delivery Businesses Face

What Is SB 1302?

Why It’ll Be Challenging to Pass

What Can I Do?