I wrote a put up final 12 months entitled, “Does Medical Licensing Make Sense in Leisure Jurisdictions?” The concept – which we’ve seen borne out numerous occasions – is that in jurisdictions that enable leisure hashish, medical hashish often turns into a relic of the previous. That’s as a result of medical hashish is topic to many extra restrictions than leisure hashish, making it a lot easier for almost all of customers to purchase leisure hashish.
As we speak, I need to have a look at a few of the few conditions the place medical hashish nonetheless is smart, principally from the patron’s standpoint. I lined a few of these in my above put up, and broaden on them beneath:
Some cities don’t enable leisure hashish
Some locations nonetheless solely enable medical hashish. There are nonetheless some municipalities in California that haven’t welcomed leisure hashish gross sales. So companies working in these jurisdiction can clearly solely promote medical hashish. Shoppers – a minimum of those who need to purchase hashish from authorized outlets of their hometown – might be pressured to have a physician’s advice or medical marijuana identification card (MMIC).
Age limitations
There are no age limits for medical hashish. Folks underneath 21 can not purchase leisure hashish anyplace within the state. They or their main caregivers might solely buy hashish if they’ve a advice or MMIC. That is probably not an enormous sliver of the state market, however for these people, medical hashish is the one option to go.
Furthermore, somebody over 21 who purchases leisure hashish and offers it to a minor can face legal legal responsibility. An individual underneath 21 with a medical marijuana advice or MMIC who’s main caregiver (say a mum or dad) gives it to them might not current these identical sorts of dangers.
Medical prospects can purchase extra hashish
Leisure hashish is topic to very strict every day buy limits that simply are manner greater for medical marijuana. Listed below are the every day buy limits for leisure:
- 28.5 grams of non-concentrated hashish.
- 8 grams of hashish focus as outlined in Enterprise and Professions Code part 26001, together with hashish focus contained in hashish merchandise.
- 6 immature hashish vegetation.
And listed here are the every day limits for medical prospects:
- 8 ounces of medicinal hashish within the type of dried mature flowers or the plant conversion as offered in Well being and Security Code part 11362.77.
- 12 immature hashish vegetation.
As you may see, a medical marijuana affected person or their main caregiver can purchase many occasions extra hashish per day than a leisure buyer. This makes a whole lot of sense – why pressure a medical buyer to haul themselves to a dispensary a number of occasions per week or month when they could be affected by a debilitating illness?
Medical hashish merchandise could be a complete lot stronger
Edible and topical hashish merchandise are topic to tight THC limits. Edible product THC limits are 10mg THC per serving and 100mg THC per bundle. However, orally dissolving edible merchandise might be able to include as much as 5x that quantity per bundle if they’re for medical use solely (and correctly labeled/offered as such) and have solely 10mg THC per piece. Likewise, topical hashish merchandise can solely have 1,000 mg THC per bundle, however that may be doubled for merchandise which might be labeled/offered for medical use.
MMIC holders pay fewer taxes
Below California law, MMIC holders might be exempt from paying gross sales tax (although not the state excise tax) on medical hashish items. This exemption solely applies to MMIC holders and never simply medical sufferers who’ve a physician’s advice. However for medical sufferers who buy giant portions of medical marijuana, the financial savings can add up.
Free hashish???
Medical licensees might give or donate medical sufferers in sure circumstances. Once more, that is simply one more reason why physician’s suggestions and MMIC’s could be a large asset within the palms of sufferers with restricted assets.
California is dominated by leisure hashish gross sales. Medical-only companies are going to have a very onerous time competing with leisure sellers in neighboring jurisdictions, not to mention the unlawful outlets. The common buyer simply isn’t going to undergo the trouble of getting a physician’s advice or MMIC, particularly in the event that they don’t have a qualifying situation. And people leisure dispensaries usually ship into medical solely cities. So the leisure companies will win out time and time once more. However for medical sufferers, there might might be many good causes to get a physician’s advice or MMIC.