A day after recreational marijuana became legal in California, Los Angeles officials warned the public about the enforcement of rules and regulations of its sale and use.
“[It’s] not without constraints,” LAPD First Assistant Chief Michel Moore said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
The purchase of recreational pot is restricted to adults ages 21 or older, Moore said. With the exception of medical marijuana holders, the law only allows the cultivation of up to six plants per household. Drivers need to keep cannabis in a container placed in a locked trunk, and consumption remains prohibited in public spaces and businesses, the officer added.
As of Tuesday, L.A. residents who want to purchase pot for recreational use have limited options. The city will start accepting applications from existing medical marijuana dispensaries on Wednesday, said Cat Packer, the executive director of the Department of Cannabis Regulation. The application process for other retailers will roll out at a later time.
Packer encouraged the public to become familiar with regulations through cannabis.lacity.org, adding that the process is “likely to have a few bumps along the way.”
“This is the beginning of something new for the city of Los Angeles,” she said.
The adult use and sales of recreational pot became legal in California on Jan. 1. Voters approved an initiative in November 2016 to allow people 21 and older to carry, transport and purchase up to 28.5 grams of marijuana for recreational use, expanding a law that legalized medical marijuana in the state more than two decades ago.