Pictured: A light shines behind plants growing in the indoor cultivation facility for The Outliers Collective, a California medical marijuana dispensary in San Diego, on Oct. 19, 2016. (Vince Chandler, The Denver Post)

California recreational marijuana vote 2016: State approves Proposition 64


Election 2016: Get updates on the nine states with marijuana ballot measures


Californians have legalized recreational marijuana, according to the Associated Press.

Proposition 64 sailed to an early victory Tuesday night, according to results from the Secretary of State.

The ballot measure had 56 percent of the vote as of 11 p.m. MST on Tuesday night.

The measure, also known as the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, will allow adults 21 and older to possess up to an ounce of marijuana or 8 grams of concentrated cannabis and grow up to six plants per home.

The citizen-driven initiative prohibits driving while impaired, giving cannabis to minors or consuming it in public. And it includes provisions for licensing, testing, labeling, advertising and local control over businesses.

The act also establishes a 15 percent sales tax, plus a separate tax for growers. The Legislative Analyst’s Office anticipates revenues could top $1 billion annually, with funds dedicated to research, public safety, abuse prevention and environmental protection.

Four other states also voted Tuesday on whether to legalize recreational marijuana, with Maine so far on track to also approve its initiative.

Four more states voted on medical marijuana. Florida and North Dakota approved their measures, with an initiative in Montana also poised to pass.

What next?

Now that Proposition 64 has passed, here’s what becomes legal Wednesday for California residents and visitors 21 and older:

• Consuming marijuana at home.

• Carrying, giving away or accepting free of charge up to an ounce of flowers or up to 8 grams of concentrated cannabis.

• Growing as many as six pot plants per home, discreetly, and keeping the harvest. But check on local policies, since some cities are rushing to say grows for personal use must be indoors or permitted.

• Petitioning to have criminal records or jail sentences changed, with some felonies converted to misdemeanors and some misdemeanors or infractions made legal.

Here’s what remains illegal under Prop. 64:

• Smoking weed on the street or in a bar, since public consumption is banned.

• For now, buying or selling recreational cannabis. Licensed shops won’t open for another year. So anyone who doesn’t have a doctor’s recommendation and wants to get cannabis legally needs to either wait until their homegrown supply is ready or get an ounce (or less) for free from another adult.

• Consuming in a vehicle or getting high and driving. Drugged driving laws still apply and, as with alcohol, it’s not legal to have an open container of pot in a car.

• Going to work high. Employers can still enforce their own drug policies, including firing workers who test positive for weed.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7963 or bstaggs@ocregister.comTwitter: @JournoBrooke

This story was first published on OCRegister.com