Since November 9th of 2016, marijuana has been legal in California. According to the California National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), adults older than 21 are now allowed to smoke marijuana without a medical card.
In California, people are allowed to carry and use up to an ounce of marijuana and grow up to six plants for personal use. However, real sales of marijuana do go into effect until January of 2018.
Called the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA), marijuana laws are now in Proposition 64. First, AUMA legalizes possession and use of up to one ounce of marijuana for personal use cultivation of us to six plants per residence by adults 21 and over. Also, AUMA reduces penalties for most illegal cultivation, sale, transport, and possession for sale offences from felonies to misdemeanors, with possible exceptions for repeat or violent offenders or other aggravating circumstances. This also allows prior offenders to file to have their criminal records changed to what they would have been if Prop 64 had been in effect.
AUMA also establishes a licensed regulation system for commercial production and sale of adult use cannabis beginning in Jan 1 of 2018. Also, this levies a production tax of $9.25/ounce of flowers plus an additional 15% tax on retail sales of marijuana both adult-use and medical. All exempts medical marijuana patients with state-issued ID cards from the existing 7.25% and sales tax effective immediately. Lastly, this legalizes agricultural production of industrial hemp effective Jan 1, 2018.
According to research from 2017 National Institute on Drug Abuse, the U.S. FDA has not recognized or approved the marijuana plant as a medicine. However, the chemical called cannabinoid in marijuana has been approved by FDA and there are differences in how a person can use marijuana. There are different types of marijuana that have differing effects which is why they are utilized medically.
Marijuana, when not used for medical purposes, gives numerous negative effects to the human body. It depends on how one smokes it and what kind of weed he/she smokes, but mostly the effects include feeling drowsy or lightheaded, dry mouth, quickened heart rate, hot and cool sensations, relaxed muscles, and foggy eye vision.
As controversial as marijuana use is, many claim individual liberties as justification and others claim that it will be beneficial for our economy. No matter what, it becomes the most important to be informed about the product whether or not one is a consumer of it or not. For more information, visit https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/marijuana