California legalises recreational cannabis

California legalises recreational pot
California legalises recreational pot
By Euronews
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As of January 1 2018 adults over 21 can buy pot for recreational use in the US's largest state

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California has become the largest state in the US to legalise recreational cannabis use.

The change in the law from Janurary 1st allows adults over 21 to possess up to 28 grams of the drug and to grow up to six marijuana plants at home.

Diana Gladden was one of those who queued up to buy at the first opportunity:

"We were here at about 5 o'clock this morning. It's history. It's history. And I think it's beneficial. It's going to help a lot of people, a lot of different demographics in the long run."

Californians voted in favour of Proposition 64 legalising cannabis 14 months ago, in a poll that took place alongside the US presidential vote.

Since then, a complicated patchwork of taxes and regulations has been drawn up to govern sales of the drug.

California was the first state to legalise marijuana for medical use but now becomes one of eight to allow its use for recreation. The other states are - Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada.

"I've been a medical patient for quite sometime and my card expired, so I was kind of waiting for the new year because it was legalized, and I was just going to come out," said customer Joshua Woodson.

Business is watching carefully at what could be an industry worth tens of billions of dollars in the next few years but critics say the law will lead to more driving under the influence of the drug and tempt youngesters into developing a drug habit.

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