(AP photo)LOS ANGELES: Californians may awaken on New Year's Day to a stronger-than-normal whiff of marijuana as America's cannabis king lights up to celebrate the state's first legal retail pot sales. With wider acceptance, the aroma of marijuana smoke has become more pervasive in parts of California, and use accelerated after the legalisation vote. Meantime, Fresno, Riverside, Anaheim, Bakersfield and all of surrounding Kern County have prohibited pot shops, and Long Beach has a temporary ban. Pot shop founder Jamie Garzot said she's concerned that when the current crop dries up, she'll encounter a shortage of marijuana that meets state regulations. That robust black market is expected to continue to thrive, particularly as taxes and fees raise the cost of retail pot by as much as 70 percent.

Source: Bangkok Post December 31, 2017 21:00 UTC