The rules have finally been released as recreational sales are set to begin in January of 2018.
The largest legal for marijuana market finally has some rules set in place. The regulations were released today by three separate state agencies-the Department of Health, Department of Food and Agriculture and the Bureau of Cannabis Control.
The rules are being viewed as “emergency regulations” that could be altered in the future but are being put into place since recreational sales are set to begin in a matter of weeks. Temporary licenses will start to be issued in the first week of January and will cover the first 120 days of the new program. The temporary licenses could be extended if long-term regulations are not finalized.
Some of the key takeaways from the emergency rules are:
- Edibles will not be permitted to include more than 100mg of THC per package.
- Serving sizes for edibles cannot exceed 10mg of THC
- Concentrates, tinctures, and topicals can contain up to 1000mg of THC per package with medical grade products being allowed to go up to 2000mg per package
- Daily purchase limits for customers at a specific retailer will be set at 28.5 grams of flower, 8 grams of concentrates eight grams of concentrate, and six immature plants. Medical patients will be able to purchase higher amounts.
- Retail outlets will only be permitted to open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
- Deliveries will be permitted only by employees of licensed retail centers
- Annual license fees will range from $800 per year to $120,000 per year. This range includes the yearly licensing for small shops to large-scale events with thousands of attendees.
Local governments will also have the opportunity to tailor the state marijuana rules to their own.
The marijuana industry in California is estimated to be worth $7 billion per year with $1 billion being collected in taxes each year. Some are concerned that the high tax figures could keep black market flourishing.
