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The Confusion Between Medical Marijuana and
Recreational Use Made Easier
Weed is legal why should I get a Card?
- With a Medical Marijuana Recommendation you are eligible to obtain a State/County mmj card which make you exempt from the high sales tax that will be imposed on recreational purchases of up to 45%
- With a Medical Marijuana Card you can purchase stronger and better quality medical cannabis containing higher CBD ie edibles, oils, tinctures. Recreational can only purchase dry cannabis for smoking and very small dose edibles, requiring a lot more and more $$$. Recreational Cannabis will contain less THC and less CBD than Medical Grade Cannabis.
- You can possess up to 8 ounces of any type of cannabis with a medical card. Recreational is only 1 ounce of dry bud and a very small amount of edibles, less than 1/4 ounce containing a tiny amount of medicine due to child protection laws.
- With an exemption you can grow whatever your medical need is. Exempt from the 6 plant rule.
- Individuals with child custody issues should have an MMJ Card, it is the only protection you have in court. Recreational use will not be a valid legal stance in child custody issues.
California To Charge up to 45% Sales Tax
Summary
Medical marijuana is used by patients with a prescription, and it is legal anywhere in California. Medical marijuana often contains more CBD, because this cannabinoid is the medicinal therapeutic ingredient. Medical marijuana was the first use of the cannabis plant.
Recreational marijuana is used to get high, and it is more often illegal. This kind of marijuana tends to have more THC, because this is the psychoactive compound responsible for the euphoric high. The high feeling comes from the THC and most medical patients do not want this. Recreational use of marijuana also dates back thousands of years.
The following is copy from a Sacramento Bee article dated Dec 28, 2017:
Does it make financial sense to keep your medical marijuana card after Jan. 1?
Starting New Year’s Day, adults no longer will need a doctor’s recommendation to legally buy marijuana in California.
But don’t throw out that medical marijuana card just yet.
Depending on how much cannabis you consume, it might make sense to remain a medical marijuana customer instead of becoming a recreational one. Medical consumers get a break on taxes, and all of them can buy more and stronger cannabis products than recreational customers.
Considering just the costs, it pays to have a medical card if you buy a lot of marijuana and you have the right kind of recommendation. To get a break on sales taxes – 8.25 percent in Sacramento – medical patients must have a state-issued medical card...
Everyone pays other taxes, either directly or indirectly, including a 15 percent state excise tax and pot-specific local taxes (4 percent on gross sales in Sacramento).
State-issued cards must be obtained through county health departments and cost significantly more than other doctor recommendations. The card costs $100, or half that if you’re Medi-Cal eligible.
A bigger consideration for medical patients may be what the card allows you to buy. Any medical card will allow you to buy up to 8 ounces of weed a day, compared to 1 ounce for recreational customers.
Any type of medical recommendation allows users to purchase concentrated forms of cannabis, such as oils or waxes, that are twice as strong as what is available to recreational consumers. The limit on THC, an active compound in cannabis, is 1,000 milligrams per package for recreational products and twice that for medical.
The limit for THC in edible products is 100 milligrams per product, for medical and recreational customers alike. State regulators have sought to prevent customers from getting too high, but some medical marijuana advocates have complained that the limit will remove some of the most popular edibles from the market. The limits on THC in edibles are the same in other states with legal recreational weed.