Marijuana is set to become legal across the State of California on January 1st, 2018. But, there are limitations to what you can do with it.
Deputy City Attorney of Bakersfield, Richard Iger, said, "You cannot smoke marijuana at any place where you cannot smoke tobacco. So if it says no smoking tobacco, same applies for marijuana."
Iger also said, Bakersfield and Kern County have banned commercial use of marijuana meaning you will have to either grow your own, which the state allows you up to twelve immature plants or six mature plants, or you will have to drive to a nearby city or county like Los Angeles that allows the sale of marijuana.
Gabriel Godinez, who is a civil litigator of cannabis law, said you don't need to worry about driving with marijuana. He said, "You can drive in a possession with the amounts that are articulated by the State of California."
Along with the twelve immature plants or six mature plants, the new law will allow you to have up to one ounce of dried marijuana. However, for medical marijuana you can have up to the doctor recommended amount, which can be more than the recreational one ounce.
Iger said, while you're allowed to drive with marijuana, you're not allowed to smoke marijuana in your car as driver or passenger. And just like alcohol, it's against the law to drive high.
"It's always been a crime, it's just now the biggest difference is going to be people are going to make the argument that I'm legally able to have it," said Iger.
Sgt. Ryan Kroeker, a spokesmen for Bakersfield Police, said BPD has a system to test drivers. Like a DUI, there is a field sobriety check. If the officer believes the driver failed, then the officer will take the driver to the hospital where a medical professional will take a blood sample to test for marijuana.
Iger said November 2018, Bakersfield City Council will revisit whether to permit the sale of medical marijuana in the city.
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