California was the first state to legalize marijuana for medical use allowing doctors to legally recommend cannabis as an alternative to other medications. This proposition was first passed in 1996 and there have been a number of subsequent assembly and senate bills including senate bill 420, known as the medical marijuana program act that added to the health and safety code, and the Medical Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MCRSA) that created a licensing and regulatory system for medical cannabis.
Recreational marijuana was made legal in 2016 with proposition 64 (The Adult Use of Marijuana Act) allowing all adults the right to possess up to an ounce of dried cannabis, smoke in a private residence and grow up to six personally cultivated marijuana plants in California. Adults may even give away up to an ounce but possession with intent to sell would still contravene California’s marijuana laws and selling would constitute part of the black market.
Whether you are interested in growing a few plants for personal use or would like to grow commercially both are possible and legal in California providing you stick to local and state laws. For-profit cannabis licenses can be obtained from the state or personal growers recommendations via a doctor's recommendation letter for personal use which you can apply for here.
Growing Marijuana in California
The Adult Use of Marijuana Act not only legalized recreational use of Cannabis in California but also allowed all adults to cultivate up to six plants. That means that any adult over the age of 21 can grow cannabis in California provided they have no more than 6 cannabis plants, are growing on private property and that the plants are out of sight of the public. Some cities and countries have banned outdoor growing limiting growing spaces to inside private residences.
California cannabis law has different rules for medical cannabis and recreational cannabis. Marijuana legalization in California started with the Compassionate Use Act when in 1996 California became the first state to allow doctors to legally prescribe cannabis for medicinal purposes. While anyone can grow up to six marijuana plants, California’s marijuana laws relating to medical marijuana allow all cannabis patients to grow up to twelve cannabis plants for personal use.
Marijuana patients interested in cultivating Cannabis for their own use will need to apply for a doctor's recommendation and a medical marijuana id card. Doctors recommendations can be applied for online here with results available in minutes. Medical marijuana users and their primary caregivers not only have the right to grow more marijuana plants but can buy marijuana from any cannabis dispensary and are legally allowed to possess higher quantities.
Getting a Growers Recommendation
Although the standard number of plants you can grow for personal use is six or twelve if you have a medical id card, cannabis regulations in California also allow patients to grow up to 99 plants or cultivate an area of up to 100 square feet providing cultivation of marijuana is exclusively for their own medical use. This means that patients with certain conditions can grow much larger amounts of marijuana in California. Though it is worth remembering that even with a medical marijuana card and growers recommendation you must still only grow the number of marijuana plants you need for your condition.
Additionally registered primary caregivers can grow for up to five patients without contravening cannabis regulations. You can apply for a doctor's recommendation, medical cards and a growers recommendation online today and get your results within minutes.
This is not a license for cannabis business and marijuana laws do not allow you to sell cannabis. Selling marijuana can only be done by an official marijuana business that has been issued a license by the Bureau of Cannabis Control.
The Bureau of Cannabis Control plays a key role in cannabis regulation and safety in California and is the lead agency responsible for regulating the cannabis industry issuing licenses for commercial cannabis distributors and retailers of legalized cannabis.
Commercial License for Cultivation
Commercial cannabis cultivators are regulated by the California Department of Food and Agriculture that has a division known as CalCannabis Cultivation Licensing. This division is responsible for marijuana cultivation licensing for both recreational and medicinal use within the state.
As well as a license to grow from the department of food and agriculture legal growing may also require a permit from the local water board as cannabis requires a lot of water to grow.
California Medical Marijuana Program
The California Department of Public Health has established the Medical Marijuana Identification Card Program that allows any qualified patient or their carer to obtain a state-authorized id card and have their names on a web-based registry.
Registration in the identification card program is voluntary and there are other medical cards available however being on the registry allows law enforcement and others to quickly verify an individual's authorization to grow and possess marijuana according to medical rather than recreational laws.
A number of counties and cities within the state also have their own marijuana programs responsible for local cannabis regulations. For example, the Monterey County Cannabis Program has the specific mission of providing a framework for the management of commercial cannabis products within the county and facilitating collaboration and coordination between various county departments and marijuana users.
It is also important to remember that while California as a state has legalized marijuana it remains illegal under federal law. And that while you can legally buy marijuana you need to make sure you also find somewhere legal to smoke it as smoking in public places remains illegal.
Finding Further Information
If you need further information on the laws in California including medical marijuana law, rules surrounding the possession of marijuana, cultivation laws, and local marijuana laws in the different cities and counties you can access the California Cannabis Portal online.
Apply online today for a medical recommendation and ensure you are subject to California’s medical marijuana laws and have access to medical marijuana in California.
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