How to get recreational cannabis in Los Angeles legally as a visitor?

April 11, 2018 4:28 AM

I'm traveling to CA, but reside in another state. I'm having trouble understanding the current laws and would like some suggestions if you have personal experience.

Is it possible for me to visit Los Angeles and legally buy cannabis oil (of the THC variety) in a store? If so, how does this work, and can you recommend a specific place that has a good variety of strains?

posted by anonymous to Law & Government (8 answers total)

I visited San Diego recently from out-of-state and just walked into a dispensary and bought edibles. You'll need to follow their guidance in the waiting room (register, show your ID, wait to be brought back to the sales floor, etc), but it's not complicated and didn't feel shady in the least.
posted by GamblingBlues at 4:47 AM on April 11, 2018

Here's a blurb on the legality in California, though it's a bit sparse. If you click through the tabs you can find dispensaries near where you will be staying; maybe you can contact a couple and ask further questions.
posted by vignettist at 7:38 AM on April 11, 2018

MedMen is a non-medical dispensary and has worked for me. There are a number of locations. They have numerous oil products and much more than that.

In LA there are very few non-medical dispensaries. MedMen is one.
posted by n9 at 7:54 AM on April 11, 2018

Can second MedMen, there's one 10 mins from LAX, very professional and pleasant shop. Prices are higher than in Colorado or Washington but quality was excellent.
posted by spitbull at 2:08 PM on April 11, 2018

In LA and surrounds there are tons of Adult-Recreational licensed places. There are at least 40 that are listed in a print trade magazine (The 420 Book) which is left floating around some waiting rooms. MedMen is like the Apple Store of dispensaries, flashy and expensive, but the most likely to be setup to handle out of state id. I think the rest of the out of state id hassle comes down to the ease of verification. Some places have forms and signatures and sign-up/membership(free) on that first visit. Some places will just swipe your california id through one of those little hand held scanner things and wave you on (they're just maybe not setup to handle non-california verification).

West Hollywood is floating the idea of allowing cannabis cafes allowing on-site use ala Amsterdam and cannabis tourism friendly. That makes me think that it's just 'adult over 21' and whether a dispensary is setup to handle the out of state id is more of a technology matter.

It's the same with credit cards, MedMen can do credit cards, my local hole in the wall is cash only, better parking, cheaper and wider range in the flower category than MedMen, but not as much in the edible/vape/everything else categories.
posted by zengargoyle at 2:20 PM on April 11, 2018

The app WeedMaps has a filter for recreational shops that works well. There are quite a few these days (not just MedMen) so it shouldn't be too hard in most parts of LA.
posted by thefoxgod at 2:29 PM on April 11, 2018

If California is like any other state with legal weed, you walk in, show your ID and then someone lets you know when you can go into the shop. It doesn't matter if it's an out-of-state license. Use Leafly.com or the Leafly app to find recreational shops and check their menus.
posted by AppleTurnover at 2:40 PM on April 11, 2018

Yes, confirming that it is fully legal to purchase cannabis products from a licensed retailer in California, regardless of what state you live in. It’s not legal to smoke it in public, drive with an open container of it (or under the influence), or take it home on the plane with you. If you are not an experienced consumer, please make sure you understand the potency of what you get, and use caution with edibles. And thank you for contributing to our cannabis economy!
posted by gingerbeer at 4:47 PM on April 12, 2018