Golden State Green: Recreational Cannabis Sales Finally Legal in California – News

Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin helps kick off legal cannabis sales; photo via Berkeley Patients Group

The world’s largest legal cannabis market is officially open for business. After 20 years under a loosely regulated medical industry and another full year of regulatory debate, the Golden State has finally joined Colorado, Washington, Alaska, Oregon and Nevada as the sixth American state to allow adult-use cannabis sales.

To mark the historic occasion, California residents and tourists ditched the traditionally boozy trappings of New Year’s Eve, trading in champagne toasts for a place in line at one of the 100 or so licensed dispensaries prepping to open their doors on New Year’s Day.

With lines snaking around the building by the time doors opened on January 1st, Oakland’s Harborside Health Center made one of the state’s first legal sales at 6 a.m. local time, legally blessing former federal attorney Henry Wykowski with a $20.01 gram of Neville’s Purple, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Patients line up at Harborside Health Center in Oakland to buy legal recreational marijuana for the first time! @KPFANews pic.twitter.com/s9n2oQA5GY

— Jordan…