Recreational marijuana is legal in California, along with numerous other states. This means that licensed dispensaries are allowed to sell the product without violating state law, and people are able to buy it without having a medical card. Marijuana remains illegal at the federal level, but the states are beginning to set their own laws as citizens vote on what they would actually like to see.
One thing that is very common is for an individual to buy marijuana at a dispensary, go to a social gathering with friends and then share that marijuana with their friends. Is it legal to do this?
You can give cannabis as a gift
The good news is that you are allowed to give your marijuana products away as a gift in California. You can’t sell them, however. Only those with a license are allowed to sell them and make a profit. So you can’t charge your friends for the products at that social gathering, but you can give those same products to them for free if you would like to do so.
Naturally, the person that you’re giving the products to also has to be at least 21 years of age. They need to be able to legally obtain those products. In other words, if they could have gone to the dispensary themselves and made the purchase, you can share it with them just to save time. But if there is something prohibiting them from legally purchasing marijuana themselves, such as an age restriction that they don’t meet, then giving it to them is still illegal.
If you do find yourself facing serious charges after a mistake with marijuana, you should speak with an experienced attorney about your legal defense options.