Los Angeles, CA, California
Smoking tolerance level [1= very illegal 5=virtually legal]: 4.5
Legislation: Proposition 215 in California since July 19, 2002, also known as the Compassionate Use Act of 1995, legalizes medical Marijuana use: “The possession and cultivation of marijuana is no more criminal — so long as (the law’s) conditions are satisfied — than the possession and acquisition of any prescription drug with a physician’s prescription.” CA Chief Justice Ronald George.
Possession of 28.5 grams or less of marijuana is not an arrestable offense. As long as the offender can provide sufficient identification and promises to appear in court, the officer will not arrest the offender. Upon conviction of the misdemeanor charge the offender is subject to a fine of $100. Possession of greater than 28.5 grams is punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $500.
The State of California has made it legal to carry up to an ounce on your person IF you have received a “prescription” from a doctor. This “prescription” allows you to get a “Cannabis card” which you can use to purchase marijuana from “Cannabis Clubs” (a physical establishment you can buy marijuana from with a card). Also, possesion of marijuana in the State of California is only a misdemeanor offense and is removed from your record after only 2 years (misdemeanor only applies if there is no intent to sell).
Law Enforcement: Can be quick to write up posession citations. Do not walk down the street w/ a joint or a bowl, and make sure you keep it out of site. LAPD usually doesn’t bother you if you are minding your own business.
If you have small quantities the police are not going to waste their time on you. They will simply confiscate the weed from you and usually do not even write you a ticket (although they can write you a $100 dollar ticket if they want). Do not carry large amounts of individually packaged weed, scales, or big amounts of cash with weed as these can get you busted for dealing. I’ve had a cop pull up beside me and my friends as we sat in the car on 4/20 in the early morning in a car filled with munchies all lookin stoned as hell and the cop did not even want to bother (although we werent driving which would have been different).
Where to Buy Marijuana in Los Angeles: Weed may be available on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood, but short of downtonw Los Angeles Sunset Blvd. turns into Cesear Chavez and there is no weed there. Weed can be found downtown, but it is sketchy from a personal safety and law enforcement standpoint. The primary drug trade in Los Angeles features crack cocaine, heroin, and meth. The dealers primarily operate out of the skid row area, which is frankly not safe for visitors. 25,000 people live in downtown Los Angeles, and 10,000 of them are homeless. The dealers that service this population are dangerous.
Aside from safety on the street, LAPD has been cracking down on crime in downtown Los Angeles . Cameras surveil certain streets, and drug sweeps are relatively common. Weed abounds in Los Angeles and is fairly well tolerated, just don’t try and buy it downtown on the street.
a recent report we received is: “Anywhere in South central LA by walkin up to people, although I dont recommend doing this for safety reason. Otherwise simply go to Venice beach at around sunset, if you make eye contact with people and give off the right persona, dealers will usually approach you (look for people with backpacks). Often they will come back with marijuana or call a friend. The best weed is usually gotten through hook ups though, try UCLA and look for the right crowd.”
and also: “The best, easiest, and most common way to get good bud in L.A. iis to have someone with a club card make a run to the cannibas club for you. However, it’s best to have a friend do it, because many “club runners” will get a good deal at the club and rip you off big time.”
Los Angeles Marijuana Prices: $20 for 1.0-1.3g
$45-85 for an eigth (depending on quality of course) $90-140 for a quarter (again depending on quality)
Price vary tremendously since the quality range of the weed is immense. You can pay up to $70 for an 1/8 of an oz of really amazing weed that can smell so strong,that an eighth will stink up an entire apartment. Lower range weed goes for around 35-45 dollars an eighth.
Brands: Everything, this is Cali weed. To name a few of the one’s I’ve seen: OG Kush, Purple Kush, Orange Kush, Master Kush, Ogre Kush, White Widow, Sour Diesel, Juicyfruit, Captain Kush, Silver Lining, Legends of Indica, Northern Lights, Trainwreck, etc etc.
Almost any type of bud that can be imagined. Marijuana dispensaries are located in California if you have a medical marijuana license, so this brings virtually any type of weed found in dispensaries to LA (which is basically every type you can imagine).
More Information: More weed than you can imagine is down in this area – All of it some of the best weed in the country. Good luck finding it. PS, I’ve found it’s beautiful to blaze a joint while watching a California Sunset. Enjoy your trip to LA =).
General Calfornia Information:
Legislation: In California since 1996’s Prop 215 anyone “recommended” (not prescribed—doctors nationwide can’t prescribe cannabis but they can under freedom of speech laws recommend it informally for your condition/illness) marijuana has been able to use it in their home legally now in quantities “Under the [statewide] guidelines, qualified patients and/or their primary caregivers may possess no more than eight ounces of dried marijuana and/or six mature (or 12 immature) marijuana plants. However, S.B. 420 allows patients to possess larger amounts of marijuana when such quantities are recommended by a physician. The legislation also allows counties and municipalities to approve and/or maintain local ordinances permitting patients to possess larger quantities of medicinal pot than allowed under the new state guidelines. [For detailed information on county or municipal medical marijuana guidelines [whether your area allows greater than 8 ounces to be possessed, etc.], please visit: http://www.safeaccessnow.net/countyguidelines.htm Oakland, for example, allows more than most counties]”
Thus if you are recommended cannabis you can visit the cannabis dispensaries (pharmacies supplying only medical marijuana to patients displaying proof of recommendation and residence in California) but some counties have banned the dispensaries in their area. Nonetheless there are many dispensaries in LA (over 100) and some in Northern California especially towards the coast. Or you can grow the applicable amount you want legally. If a police officer discovers you are in possession of cannabis showing them an ID card from your county will make them leave you alone faster (optional, costs over $100 a year). Under state law your marijuana use will be 100% legal in your home. Federal laws against medical marijuana don’t change the way California (or any other) state police officers and courts treat medical marijuana—only state laws do. California state law protects all doctor-recommended medical marijuana users as long as they don’t go over the quantity limits and don’t sell their cannabis to anyone. Thus medical marijuana is quite legal in California and many have gotten legal protection for their medical use for a wide variety of conditions not yet allowed in the other 11 medical marijuana states: e.g., Migraine, Arthritis, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), PMS, Severe Anxiety and many other conditions where marijuana is useful and effective.
Law enforcement: Medical marijuana users with doctor recommendations are fully legally protected in California for amounts up to at least 8 ounces and/or 6 mature (or 12 immature) plants in their home (certain counties listed here http://www.safeaccessnow.net/countyguidelines.htm allow more and certain conditions allow larger quantities sometimes). State police officers must not arrest you if you can show an identification card ($100 or so per year) or show your doctor-written proof of recommendation paper. As long as you keep within the legal quantity. 99% of marijuana arrests in the USA are done by state police officers according to MPP.org so as long as your medical marijuana use is legal in California you will not to have any problems as long as you follow state rules.
Where to buy marijuana: Medical users can buy at a dispensary (over 150 in the state, mostly in LA and the SF Bay area on the coast) with full legal protection to the quantities they are allowed. Also if an authorized medical user buys off the street they cannot be arrested for doing so as long as they can display a medical marijuana identification card ($100 or so a year) or show their written doctor’s proof of recommendation. Or they could grow their own to the amounts allowed.
More information: California is a pioneering medical marijuana state; the first “effective” American medical marijuana state since 1996 and the one that allows use for the most conditions (marijuana has shown anecdotal and scientifically proven results for many conditions, more than the 4 or 5 conditions (cancer/nasuea/chemotherapy side effects, HIV/AIDS, chronic pain, glaucoma, or MS or anorexia that the other 11 states have legalized use when recommended (though Maryland has the least protection according to MPP.org)) Plus California has decriminalized other marijuana use to a $100 fine for under an ounce possession and fines for paraphrenalia; no jail time and some cities have set marijuana use in general as the lowest law enforcement priority thus ignoring small time possession much more often.