Kings County Cannabis – Is It Legal & Where To Buy 2024

Is Cannabis Cultivation Legal in Kings County?

California laws make cannabis commerce legal in the state. The Control, Regulate, and Tax Adult Use of Cannabis Act made it legal for adults to cultivate marijuana for their personal consumption. The Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA) established a framework for the regulation of commercial activities associated with cannabis. These activities include cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, retail, and testing of cannabis and cannabis products. All activities associated with cannabis in California were consolidated under the Department of Cannabis Control in 2021. Prior to this, the power of oversight over cannabis cultivation in the state was held by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). Cannabis laws in California also leave control of allowing or prohibiting cannabis business operations in local jurisdictions to the local authorities. As of 2021, 27 of the 58 counties in California still prohibited cannabis commerce (recreational or medicinal) within their jurisdictions. This number includes Kings County.

Kings County banned commercial cannabis cultivation in incorporated areas of the county. Over 56% of Kings County residents voted against Proposition 64 to legalize recreational marijuana, asserting the county's more conservative leanings regarding cannabis. The County Board of Supervisors enacted ordinance no. 677 in 2016, following the passage of the Control, Regulate, and Tax Adult Use of Cannabis Act. This effectively banned the cultivation of cannabis for commercial purposes in unincorporated areas of the county.

Ordinance No. 677, however, made it legal for adults aged 21 years and older to cultivate up to six cannabis plants indoors for personal consumption. All cannabis cultivated for personal use in Kings County must be inside a private residence or in a fully enclosed and secured accessory structure. Cannabis can not be cultivated outdoors in Kings County or be visible from the outside of the property. The grow space area appropriated to the cannabis plants must not exceed 32 square feet and the plants may not exceed 10 feet in height. Cultivators must also ensure to adhere to all local regulations and health and safety codes. Any adult who wants to cultivate cannabis for personal use in Kings Count must register with the Kings County Sheriff Department.

Is Cannabis Manufacturing Legal in Kings County?

California's adult-use cannabis law legalizes the manufacturing of cannabis-infused products in the state by licensed manufacturers. Adults, 21 years and over, can purchase and consume cannabis-infused products manufactured in the state from local retail shops. The Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act established the framework for the licensing and regulating of commercial cannabis businesses in the state. However, local control for enabling or prohibiting commercial cannabis operations in any jurisdiction was assigned to the local authority of the jurisdiction.

Kings County banned the manufacture of cannabis-infused products in unincorporated areas of the county. The County Board of Supervisors issued ordinance no. 677, which effectively banned the manufacture of cannabis products in all zones in the county. A majority of the residents in the county (56.2%) voted against the legalization of recreational cannabis in the state, emphasizing the county's conservative leanings.

Incorporated cities and towns in the county are also empowered to enact their own regulations to enable or prohibit commercial cannabis operations in their jurisdictions.

Is Cannabis Retail Legal in Kings County?

California legalized the retail of cannabis in 2016 with the passage of the Control, Regulate, and Tax Adult Use of Cannabis Act. The Medicinal And Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act established the framework for regulating cannabis commerce, including retail sales, in the state. Cannabis legislation in California affords local control to local authorities in their jurisdictions. This permits local authorities to decide whether to allow cannabis commerce in their jurisdictions.

Over 56% of Kings County residents voted against the legalization of recreational cannabis in 2016, establishing itself as one of the more conservative counties in the state. The Kings County Board of Supervisors issued ordinance no. 677 to effectively prohibit all forms of cannabis commerce in unincorporated areas of the county. As such, the retail of cannabis and cannabis products in Kings County is not legal. Incorporated cities and towns in Kings County are allowed to regulate commercial cannabis activities in their jurisdictions.

Is Cannabis Delivery Legal in Kings County?

It is legal to deliver cannabis to "any jurisdiction" in California, according to the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation Act (MAUCRSA). Regulations have been issued by the Department of Cannabis Control, permitting any licensed delivery service in California to deliver cannabis to locations in Kings County. Executive Order N-33-20, issued by Governor Newsom at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 established the cannabis industry as "essential". This provided the cannabis industry with special workforce dispensations that facilitate deliveries. A lawsuit brought before a Superior Court judge in Fresno County challenging the legality of cannabis deliveries in communities that banned commercial cannabis activities was dismissed.

How to Get Medical Marijuana Card in Kings County

California legalized medical marijuana in 1996 with the passing of the Compassionate Use Act. Ambiguities in the Act led to the passage of Senate Bill 420 to amend the bill and introduce an identification card system for eligible patients in the state. The Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act was enacted in 2018 to consolidate the medical and adult-use cannabis markets in California. In Kings County, medical marijuana identification cards are issued to county residents who qualify for the medical marijuana program. To qualify for the medical marijuana program in Kings County, the patient must be diagnosed with any of the following debilitating conditions:

• HIV/AIDS
• Anorexia
• Arthritis
• Chronic pain
• Glaucoma
• Cancer
• Cachexia, or wasting syndrome
• Migraine
• Seizures
• Severe nausea
• Persistent muscle spasms, like those caused by Multiple Sclerosis
• Any other chronic or persistent medical condition that limits the patient's ability to perform major life activities

To be eligible to register as a medical marijuana patient in Kings County, the patient must;

• Be a resident of Kings County (patient must provide proof of residency)
• Obtain a written recommendation (english|spanish) recommending the use of marijuana from a physician (M.D. or D.O.) licensed in California.
• Provide a valid government-issued photo ID
• Pay the registration fee. Medi-Cal recipients receive a discount on their registration fees.

Eligible applicants should complete and submit a Medical Marijuana Identification Card Application form (english|spanish) to the Kings County Public Health Department. Applicants must also submit any required supporting documents and the registration fee when submitting their forms. Medical Marijuana Identification Card applications can only be submitted on appointment. To book an appointment to submit a medical marijuana identification card application, call the Public Health Department on (559) 584-1401. Appointments are available from Mondays to Fridays, between 8.00 a.m and 4.00 p.m. The Kings County Public Health Department is located at:

330 Campus Drive,

Hanford, CA 93230

Patients that required designated primary caregivers must have their caregivers fill out the appropriate section of the application form. Primary caregivers must be 18 years and older and must be legal residents of California. Caregivers are required to submit copies of their valid government-issued photo IDs with the applications. Patients and caregivers must renew their identifications cards yearly to retain their statutory rights.

The Department will process the patient applications and notifications will be sent to the applicants within 30 days. The Department will verify the written recommendations with the physicians and validate the physicians' licenses with their professional boards. Patients that are approved will have their information submitted to the State Program and their identification cards will be processed. Identifications cards can be picked up at the Kings County Public Health Department or patients can arrange to have them mailed to them. Patients that are denied by the Department can appeal the decisions to the State Program by submitting a denial appeal form (english|spanish) within 30 days of being denied.

How Has Cannabis Legalization Impacted the Economy of Kings County?

The majority of Kings County residents (56.2%) voted against the legalization of recreational cannabis in 2016. This set the precedence for the county's disposition to commercial cannabis and subsequently, the County Board of Supervisors voted to prohibit all forms of cannabis commerce in unincorporated areas of the county. Incorporated cities and towns in Kings County are able to legislate commercial cannabis business activities in their jurisdictions.

Cannabis sales revenue figures from the different counties in the state are compiled by the California Department of Tax and Fees Administration (CDTFA). Figures for the total taxable sales for cannabis in Kings County are only available for 2021; $4,896,275 for Q2 and $8,657,092 for Q3.

The Effects of Cannabis Legalization on Crime Rates in Kings County?

Several counties in California reported drops in marijuana-related arrests following the legalization of adult-use cannabis. These drops in crime typically occurred in counties that had enabled commercial cannabis operations. Kings County regulations allow adults over 21 years and over to possess legal amounts of cannabis products, but they do not enable commercial cannabis business operations. As such, it is illegal to commercially cultivate, manufacture, or retail cannabis in the unincorporated areas of Kings County.

The Kings County Sheriff Department collates its arrest statistics as part of the Uniform Crime Reporting program of the FBI. Figures for 2016 showed a total of 14 marijuana-related arrests in the county, with 6 arrests for possession and 8 for sales/manufacture. The legalization of recreational cannabis saw an almost 93% decrease in marijuana-related arrests by 2018, with only one arrest for sales/manufacture and none for possession. However, there was a 500% rise in marijuana-related arrests in Kings County in 2019 with a total of six arrests; all for sales/manufacturing. These figures rose by 333% in 2020 with a total of 26 marijuana-related arrests in Kings County; 16 for possession and 10 for sales/manufacture.