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Weed Rules In Los Angeles: Everything You Need To Know
LA has a lot of cannabis rules. Here’s all the weed rules in LA that you need to know!
The cannabis industry has experienced rapid growth in recent years but with a lot of ups and downs. We have witnessed how cannabis laws have come a long way, but there is still more to come. It is so unfortunate how weed as a plant is looked down upon by several authorities. Hopefully, after some time, weed will eventually gain its freedom and become legal like alcohol is.
Here, we want to summarize all that has been going around cannabis ranging from growth to rules and so on, especially in LA – you don’t want to get on the wrong side of the LAPD. Despite having new legislation, we have people in prisons, others serving up to life sentences for weed-related charges. To free these individuals has proven difficult, and it looks like it will take a long time to achieve it.
What Has Changed Over Time?
Since the early 1900s, federal and state laws on cannabis and other narcotics have been in place. California is benefiting from the passing of Proposition 64 in 2018 because it is now having a different look at recreational cannabis.
However, marijuana remains a Schedule 1 drug federally despite being legal by state law. (Because it’s legal in LA, check out these strains and edibles).
Marijuana is listed alongside LSD and heroin as Schedule 1 drugs. This means that cannabis is treated the same way as heroin, which does not go down well with activists. The process of breaking the stigma surrounding cannabis is still underway.
Cannabis has come a long way. In the 1913 Poisons Act, cannabis legislation was supposed to be under Section 8, which restricted narcotics selling. But due to poor communication, it was put under an amendment. This led to the banning of all paraphernalia.
Since then, so much has changed that we can smoke medical weed legally. But that said, we still have many people incarcerated for possessing less than an ounce of marijuana. If you break the rules surrounding cannabis today, there are no chances of you getting a life sentence like it used to be. Let’s break this even further;
Weed Possession
So many states are still struggling to legalize cannabis, but it is on record that California was the first to outlaw cannabis in 1913. The state medically legalized the plant in 1996 and recreationally legalized it in 2018.
However, you can still get into trouble for marijuana possession according to the health and safety code. It is simple, avoid carrying more than 28.5 grams of marijuana with you. That is ok; you can prevent that and have much less.
You have to be over 21 years to possess marijuana or unless you have a medical card. That is also fine. Consequently, you are not allowed to spark around schools, especially when classes are on.
Typically, everything seems fine nowadays if you have a license but not always. Having a medical card or being of legal age doesn’t mean you can get into trouble. For example, you can have up to an ounce but cannot grow more than six weed plants. What about cultivation?
Weed Cultivation
How many weed plants can you possess in LA? As aforementioned, you cannot own more than six plants unless you have a farm. In any case, the plants must be secured from kids below the age of 21.
If you plant more than six plants, then you are risking a fine of about $500 and up to six months imprisonment or either of them. So before adding an extra plant, calculate whether it is worth the fine. That will surely not add up, so stick to six plants.
Note that the six plants are per household and not the number of people in the home. For example, even if you live with a friend, you can still cultivate only six plants and not twelve. Also, keep your weed plants indoors away from the public unless you own the property.
Felonies to Misdemeanors
It should be noted that marijuana was once illegal. When it was becoming illegal more than a century ago, no one cared until it became illegal. This was when everything changed drastically, and cannabis users started being prosecuted.
As of 1939, possessing or selling any amount of cannabis was a felony. With time, things started escalating as more legislation was created to deal with new and repeat offenders. In the United States, if you didn’t know, it goes from infraction, misdemeanor, to felony. That is the order from least to most severe.
Prosecutions from felonies are usually longer than a year and can go all the way to the death penalty. More comes with a felony like fines, remaining in the country of arrest, and getting saddled with a probation officer.
You also risk losing a professional license. In such a case, getting a job is almost impossible. This explains why a felony is more severe than a misdemeanor. Fortunately, laws surrounding marijuana have become friendly and more flexible since 2018.
Misdemeanors resulting from cannabis in LA are easy to deal with. Things can only escalate when a minor is involved or you have a severe criminal record from the past.
New Or Updated Records
Prop 64 is considered a helping hand for those charged with marijuana possession in the past. Thousands of people with low-level drug offenses got an expungement, and most of them were men of color.
A person can apply for resentencing if he is still locked up. With resentencing, the rights that were denied by a felony are now accessible.
What Of Taxes?
Even after the legalization of cannabis in California, things are still expensive in the state. The government has invented new ways of taking advantage through taxes.
The ability to tax marijuana helped push its legalization, but it still looks too expensive. Paying taxes is a must for any product or service in any country, but for marijuana, it is a little more costly than expected.
Benefits of a Medical Card
It is easy to get a medical card in California. You will pay some fine to get the card, but it is worth it because you will be allowed to possess, grow, transport, and use medical marijuana.
The Medical Marijuana Identification Card Program (MMICP) gives patients a chance to apply for medical cards themselves and their caregivers. This MMICP allows the growing of more than six cannabis plants. What else will you ask for if not that?
If you want to stay away from weed, then you can also get CBD products in Los Angeles from Balance CBD or Dani Pepper.
Bottom Line
Medical and recreational use of weed is legal in LA, but there is still more to go. If you are coming from another state or out of the country, read the rules before visiting a dispensary in the city. There are so many sub-sections of Prop 64 that you need to be aware of.
Remember that you cannot possess more than an ounce, and the legal age for marijuana possession is 21 years unless you have a medical card. Also, grow only six plants and avoid minors. As aforementioned, cannabis has a long way to absolute freedom, but that time will surely come.
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