No. Pursuant to Section 33-1117 of the Escondido Municipal Code, commercial cannabis activities, including marijuana dispensaries, are banned in the City of Escondido. Although marijuana is legal in Escondido under the California Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA), the Act allows municipalities to implement laws barring the operation of marijuana businesses in their jurisdictions.
No. Per Section 33-1117 of the Escondido Ordinance, a medical cannabis dispensary may not be established within the City of Escondido. The city prohibits commercial cannabis activities in all zones in the city and issues no permits or licenses for such operations.
No. Cannabis online purchases and deliveries are illegal in Escondido.
You may only legally visit a dispensary in Escondido if the city council lifts the ban on weed dispensaries in the city and issues permits and licenses for the establishment and operation of marijuana dispensaries in Escondido.
Cannabis dispensaries are prohibited in Escondido. Therefore, no dispensary laws have been approved by the city council.
Recreational users of cannabis cannot yet purchase adult-use marijuana in the city as the city's recreational cannabis laws do not permit the establishment of marijuana dispensaries within the city’s borders. With outdoor cultivation of marijuana illegal and the operations of commercial cannabis activities prohibited in the city, Escondido's recreational laws are based on the possession and use regulations of the California Medical and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA). These include:
Cannabis cultivation in the city can only be carried out by individuals aged 21 or older. Such cultivation may only be conducted on private residences out of public view
Cannabis cultivation by Escondido adults of legal age is limited to only six cannabis plants per private residence
Living cannabis plants and the cannabis produced by cultivated cannabis plants may not exceed 28.5 grams
Public consumption of cannabis is illegal
Escondido residents may not possess an open cannabis package or container while operating, driving, or riding in the passenger seat of a motor vehicle
Cannabis consumption within 1,000 feet of a school or childcare facility is illegal
Marijuana consumption on federal buildings and lands is illegal
It is illegal to ship cannabis across state borders
When California voters adopted the Compassionate Use Act in 1996, medical marijuana became legal across the state. After recreational cannabis was legalized in California, the legislature passed the California MAUCRSA (Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act), which formed a unified regulatory cannabis statute. Pursuant to MAUCRSA, California cities may enact ordinances prohibiting commercial cannabis activities in their jurisdictions. Consequently, Escondido bans medical marijuana retail establishments but allows residents to possess and cultivate marijuana for medical marijuana use.
According to the MAUCRSA, Escondido residents may register for the state medical marijuana identification card program (MMICP). Under the MMICP, patients may get medical marijuana identification cards that permit them to buy medicinal marijuana goods from neighboring cities with retail outlets without paying sales taxes.
Escondido residents must be 18 or older to register under the MMICP. Registered residents may produce or possess more marijuana than recreational users in the city if they have physicians’ recommendations. Patients seeking medical marijuana may possess up to 8 ounces of cannabis and cultivate up to six mature or twelve immature cannabis plants. Cannabis cultivation for medical marijuana use may only be done indoors. Incapacitated patients or minors who want to use medical marijuana in Escondido may designate adult primary caregivers to assist with administering medical marijuana.
You may apply for a medical marijuana (MMJ) card in Escondido if you are 18 or older, permanently reside in the city, and have a physician-issued recommendation for medical marijuana. Your healthcare provider must attest that you suffer from an approved medical condition. Approved health conditions include migraine, seizures, severe nausea, chronic pain, cancer, glaucoma, and AIDS.
As state law requires, you may only complete your medical marijuana card application at the designated county office. To submit your MMJ card application, you must schedule an appointment with the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency. To schedule an appointment with the county, call the agency at (619) 692-5723.
At your appointment with the county agency, the following will be required:
A completed application form
Written documentation or completed CDPH 9044 form from your physician recommending the use of medical marijuana. The documentation must include an original signature on the physician's letterhead or the CDPH 9044 form. The medical condition must not be listed on the form
Valid government-issued photo ID, such as a California driver’s license, Veteran’s Administration Card, or United States Passport
Proof of residence in Escondido
The name, contact information, and California medical license number of your physician
Current Medi-Cal card or Benefit Identification Card (BIC), if applicable
An application fee of $44. If you are a Medi-Cal beneficiary, you are eligible for a 50% reduction in the application fee. You may make payment by cash, cashier's check, or money orders. Credit and debit cards are accepted via VitalChek. Note the application fee is non-refundable
Submit completed applications at:
Public Health Services
3851 Rosecrans Street, Suite 802
San Diego, CA 92110
After submitting your application and verifying the information is accurate and complete, the county health agency will contact you within 35 days to pick up your card.
You can use cannabis on private properties in Escondido. If you live in a multi-unit dwelling, you cannot consume cannabis there. If you live In a leased or rented property, you must obtain permission from your property manager or landlord before consuming cannabis at home.
You cannot legally purchase medical marijuana in Escondido as the city does not permit the establishment of marijuana dispensaries.
Escondido does not allow the sale of cannabis within its borders.
Cannabis is only currently purchased illegally in Escondido as the sale of cannabis strains is illegal in the city.
No. You cannot smoke cannabis in public in the city. Not even a medical marijuana license makes such an act acceptable in Escondido.
Escondido adults aged 21 or older can purchase and possess up to one ounce of cannabis and 8 grams of cannabis concentrate. Medical marijuana patients in the city may possess up to 8 ounces of cannabis concentrate and six mature or 12 immature cannabis plants.
No. Shipping cannabis across state borders into Escondido comes under the regulation of federal laws as it involves interstate commerce. Pursuant to the federal Controlled Substance Act, the United States government considers cannabis an illegal substance. Hence, moving the substance from another state into Escondido constitutes a federal offense that may be punished severely.
No. The City of Escondido prohibits the operations of non-storefront cannabis retail outlets and cannabis delivery within its limits.
No. No cannabis dispensaries are currently authorized to operate in Escondido.
Tourists cannot visit weed dispensaries in Escondido as there are no approved cannabis dispensaries in the city.
Currently, it is illegal to purchase weed within Escondido, as weed dispensaries are illegal in the city.
Escondido prohibits the operations of marijuana dispensaries within its jurisdiction.
The City of Escondido has not approved any dispensary to operate in the city.
There are no dispensaries authorized to dispense marijuana in the City of Escondido.
Dispensaries are not permitted to operate within the borders of Escondido.
You cannot yet visit a dispensary in the City of Escondido, as cannabis dispensaries are prohibited in the city.
There are no authorized weed dispensaries in the City of Escondido.
There are no approved dispensaries in the city.
It is not permitted to buy marijuana in Escondido.
No agency or department in Escondido has been designated as the city’s cannabis regulating agency. If you want information about cannabis regulations in the city, contact the Escondido Manager or the California Department of Cannabis Control. The Escondido Manager's contact information is on the Escondido Government website.
To report illegal cannabis activities in Escondido, contact the Escondido Code Compliance Division or the Escondido police department. To report illegal cannabis activity, you may also file a complaint to the California DCC (Department of Cannabis Control).