Californians may awake 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. In November 2016, California voters legalized recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older, making it legal to grow six plants and possess an ounce of pot. 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 per cent.

Source: CBC News January 01, 2018 16:38 UTC