According to a newly-released study conducted by The Mercury News, just one out of every seven cities in California allow marijuana retail outlets, despite voters approving of legalization nearly a year and a half ago.
In 2016 California voters, with a 57% majority, gave approval to Proposition 64. The initiative legalized the possession and personal cultivation of marijuana, while establishing a system of licensed marijuana retail outlets. Despite the entire state passing the law, numerous cities – through ordinances passed by their city council – have establishes bans on all marijuana stores, requiring marijuana consumers to either travel long distances to purchase the plant legally, or rely on the black market.
“Our study is the most comprehensive look to date at how the industry is taking shape”, states The Mercury News. “Some towns — among them San Jose and Oakland — are cannabis friendly, allowing a wide range of businesses to cultivate or peddle a product that residents are free to use. Other cities — including many smaller jurisdictions across the Bay Area — are less enthusiastic, with some blocking virtually every type of marijuana-related enterprise and, in some cases, passing ordinances that seem aimed at regulating personal use as much as possible, despite the voters’ will.”
Read moreStudy: Just 1 in 7 California Cities Allow Marijuana Stores