Can I be fired for smoking weed in off-hours? Grow cannabis at home? California laws to know

Saturday marks a special holiday for fans of cannabis culture.

April 20, known as 4/20, is celebrated by marijuana enthusiasts across the globe.

Although cannabis use is legal in California, there are a number of laws in the Golden State governing how it can be cultivated and consumed.

Here’s a roundup of our latest cannabis-related coverage:

Can I grow cannabis at home?

Passed by California voters in 2016, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act allows adults 21 and older to legally grow, possess and use cannabis for recreational use.

You can grow up to six plants at your California residence for personal use only.

Plus, those cultivating cannabis at home can’t use volatile solvents — butane or propane — to process it, according to the California Department of Cannabis Control.

Breaking the rules about residential cannabis cultivation can result in a fine or imprisonment.

READ MORE:

• Want to grow weed in your California home? Don’t break the law — but follow these tips

Can I get fired for smoking weed in my off-hours?

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2188 into law in 2022, banning employers from firing, penalizing or creating employment conditions for workers based on cannabis use off the job or away from the workplace.

The law went into effect on Jan. 1.

However, it only applies to some jobs.

READ MORE:

• Can I be fired for smoking weed in my off-hours? What new California cannabis law says

Marijuana sales are prohibited in Elk Grove. Would the city ever reconsider?

What’s the difference between edible cannabis and smoking weed?

Smoking marijuana and consuming cannabis-laced edibles can both lift your mood, but there are some key differences between the two.

Smoked or vaped marijuana enters the lungs and is absorbed into the bloodstream, according to cannabis education site Leafly, while edibles are processed in the stomach and liver.

That means edibles feel stronger and the effects will last a lot longer.

Smoking weed and ingesting cannabis also have varying effects on your health.

READ MORE:

• Edible cannabis vs smoking weed: How are they different and what are the health effects?

Cooking with cannabis? How edibles have changed

Since California legalized the recreational sale and use of cannabis, marijuana-infused food has become more creative and accessible.

Sacramento dispensaries sell everything from cannabis-injused hot sauce and buffalo jerky to weed lollipops, dulce de leche truffle bars and dark chocolate mocha malt balls.

Meanwhile, major beer brands such as Pabst, Lagunitas and Anheuser Busch-InBev offer flavored seltzers that are alcohol-free but include THC.

You can even cook with gourmet food with cannabis, experts say.

READ MORE:

• Cooking with cannabis: How marijuana food edibles in Sacramento went to the next level

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