Cannabis in California: lounges, dispensaries & laws

California cannabis laws at a glance

Legal status

Recreational & Medical

Adult-use since

2016

Retail sales began

2018

Medical since

1996

Adult-use possession

28.5 grams (1 oz) of non-concentrated cannabis and 8 grams of concentrated cannabis (including cannabis in edible/concentrate form). Set by Prop 64, Health & Safety Code 11362.1.

Medical possession

Qualified patients and primary caregivers may possess at least 8 ounces of dried mature flower plus 6 mature or 12 immature plants (Health & Safety Code 11362.77, from SB 420). Note: in People v. Kelly (2010) the California Supreme Court held these numbers are a safe-harbor floor, not a hard cap — a patient with a physician's recommendation for more may possess an amount consistent with their medical needs. Local governments may set higher, but not lower, limits.

Purchase limit

Per DCC regulation 4 CCR 15409 (Daily Limits): adult-use customers may buy no more than 28.5 g non-concentrated cannabis, 8 g cannabis concentrate, and 6 immature plants per day from a single retailer. Medicinal patients/caregivers with a valid physician recommendation: up to 8 oz of dried mature flower (or plant conversion) and 12 immature plants per day, or more if the physician's recommendation specifies a different amount.

Home cultivation

Up to 6 living plants per private residence — this is a HOUSEHOLD limit, not per adult. Adults 21+ may cultivate; all harvest beyond 28.5 g must be kept in a locked, non-public area at the residence. Local jurisdictions may reasonably regulate (permits, indoor-only) but CANNOT ban indoor personal cultivation of 6 plants; they MAY ban outdoor cultivation. Medical patients may grow more than 6 plants if their physician's recommendation supports it (safe-harbor baseline of 6 mature / 12 immature under HSC 11362.77). Volatile-solvent extraction at home (butane, propane) is illegal.

Public consumption

Illegal to consume cannabis in any public place (HSC 11362.3). Also illegal to smoke or vape cannabis anywhere tobacco smoking is prohibited, within 1,000 feet of a school, day care, or youth center while children are present, or in/on a moving vehicle (driver or passenger). Penalty for public consumption or smoking where tobacco is banned is an infraction with a fine up to $100; smoking near a school/day care/youth center while children are present is a fine up to $250. Open containers of cannabis in a vehicle are also prohibited. Licensed consumption lounges and licensed temporary cannabis events are the legal exceptions.

Minimum age (adult-use)

21

Minimum age (medical)

18 with a physician's recommendation. Minors under 18 may qualify as medical patients with the consent of a parent or legal guardian, who acts as primary caregiver; the state Medical Marijuana Identification Card program issues cards to minors through a parent/guardian.

Out-of-state medical cards

No. California does not recognize out-of-state medical marijuana cards for purposes of its medical program — visiting patients cannot use a home-state card to access medicinal-only privileges, higher possession limits, the medical sales-tax exemption, or purchases by patients aged 18-20. In practice this rarely matters for adults, because anyone 21+ with a valid government-issued photo ID can buy from any licensed adult-use retailer. Visitors aged 18-20 with an out-of-state medical card generally cannot purchase in California.

Qualifying conditions

Very broad and open-ended. Prop 215 (Compassionate Use Act, 1996) lists AIDS, anorexia, arthritis, cachexia, cancer, chronic pain, glaucoma, migraine, persistent muscle spasms, seizures, and severe nausea — but then adds a catch-all for 'any other illness for which marijuana provides relief.' A physician may recommend cannabis for essentially any condition in their judgment, making California one of the least restrictive medical programs in the country. A state MMIC card is optional (it provides sales-tax exemption and legal protections), not required to be a lawful patient.