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

Is Cannabis Cultivation Legal in Yuba County?

The cultivation of cannabis for personal use is legal in Yuba County. Medical and recreational cannabis is legal in the State of California. Voters in the state passed the Compassionate Use Act in 1996 to legalize marijuana for medical use by patients with debilitating diseases. California enacted SB-420, the Medical Marijuana Program Act, in 2004 to expand the scope of the Compassionate Use Act and create the Medical Marijuana Identification Program to prevent arrests and prosecution of patients and their primary caregivers by law enforcement officers. In 2016, California voters approved Proposition 64,the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, which legalized recreational cannabis for persons aged 21 years and older. In 2017, the state legislature passed Senate Bill 94,the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA). This integrated the Adult Use of Marijuana Act with the previous Medical Cannabis Act passed in 2015. The Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) regulates the cannabis industry in California.

Yuba County only allows the cultivation of marijuana by persons aged 21 years and over. The maximum allowed legally is six cannabis plants for personal medical and non-medical use, regardless of the number of residents in a household. Yuba County allows indoor personal-use marijuana cultivation in a single, private residence. A single residence permitted for personal cannabis cultivation includes an attached garage or a separate building unit within the same property. Chapter 7.40 of the Yuba County Ordinance Code requires that a cannabis cultivation area meets the following requirements:

• Be secured to prevent unauthorized access.
• Have a legal water source and not engage in illegal water discharge.
• Have sufficient electricity and standard electrical wiring which conforms to the current California Electrical Code.
• Be equipped with a ventilation and filtration system to prevent humidity and odors from escaping the structure.
• Obscured from public view via fencing or use of opaque glass panels.

PerChapter 7.41 of the Yuba County Ordinance Code, cultivation of marijuana for commercial purposes is illegal.Outdoor cultivation of cannabis in Yuba County is prohibited.

Is Cannabis Manufacturing Legal in Yuba County?

Per Chapter 7.41.300 of the Yuba County Ordinance Code, all commercial cannabis activities, including manufacturing, are prohibited within the unincorporated areas of Yuba County. Yuba County has two incorporated areas, namely Marysville City and Wheatland City. Land use for commercial marijuana activities, including manufacturing, is prohibited in all the zoning districts within Wheatland City per Section 18.09.090 of the Wheatland Municipal Code. The City of Marysville permits commercial cannabis activities perSection 5.10 of the Marysville Municipal Code. Cannabis product manufacturers require a state license and a city-issued permit to engage in the cannabis business in Marysville. In addition to this, the City of Marysville requires manufacturers of cannabis products to:

• Be at least 21 years of age to operate a cannabis manufacturing business.
• Register with the city to operate a commercial cannabis business.
• Provide evidence of completion of background checks of all their staff to the chief of police.
• Re-register with the city when manufacturing locations change.
• Undergo mandatory building inspections and get approval from the health departments.
• Adhere to all fire and safety measures specified in the fire code and get approval from the fire department.
• Pay all required licensing and registration fees and applicable taxes.
• Adhere to the zoning requirements set in Section 18.67.030 of the Marysville Municipal Code.
• Operate between 9:00 a.m and 9:00 p.m.
• Restrict entry by minors into their premises unless they are qualified patients or with their parents or guardians.
• Implement security measures to prevent unauthorized entry and theft of cannabis products.
• Display the original copy of their city-issued business permit and license in a conspicuous place.

Is Cannabis Retail Legal in Yuba County?

Cannabis retail is illegal in Yuba County. Marysville is the only city in Yuba County where cannabis dispensaries and retail stores may operate. Dispensaries in Marysville sell several types of cannabis products. These include:

• Topicals such as lotions, creams, patches, and balms.
• Edibles such as baked goods, sweets, lozenges, and beverages.
• Cannabis concentrates such as vapes, tinctures, wax, dab, pills, and tablets.

Qualified patients with a medical marijuana identification card, designated primary caregivers, or parents of eligible patients may purchase cannabis products in Marysville.

A retail license is required to sell cannabis products in Marysville. All cannabis products in a dispensary must be stored away in a locked area where customers have no access. Access to the dispensary must be limited, such that minors may not gain entry and adults have access to only the retail sales area. Dispensaries cannot recommend medical cannabis. Licensed retailers and dispensaries must not operate as a drive-through where cannabis products are sold to customers in their vehicles. Authorized retailers and dispensaries shall only sell cannabis products designated as "For Medical Use Only" to qualified patients.

In Marysville, sales of cannabis products must not occur through a cut-out window or slide-out tray leading to the exterior of the premises. Cannabis products must be in tamper-proof and child-resistant packages. They must also be packed in opaque wraps before they are taken out of the retail store or dispensary. In Marysville, commercial cannabis cultivation is permitted within the closed structure of a medical cannabis dispensary by the licensee.

Is Cannabis Delivery Legal in Yuba County?

All commercial cannabis activities, including cannabis delivery, are prohibited within the unincorporated areas of Yuba County, per Section 7.41.300 of the Yuba County Ordinance Code. Cannabis delivery is legal in incorporated areas like Marysville, where cannabis retail is legal. Per Section 5.10.410 of the Marysville Municipal Code, cannabis products may be delivered directly to consumers at a physical address within the city limits. The delivery address must not be located on publicly owned land and should not be a property leased by a public agency. A police department-issued permit is required to deliver cannabis and cannabis products within the city. Delivery drivers must keep a copy of this permit with them. Delivery staff must also provide a copy of their retail license, the QR Code Certificate issued by the DCC, and their employee identification badge to a customer upon request.

Non-storefront retailers sell cannabis products through delivery only and require a Type 9 retail license from the DCC to operate in Marysville City. They can only deliver cannabis products to persons who are aged 21 years and over. However, they must verify the customer's age and medical information. Non-storefront retailers may also deliver to persons 18 years and older who hold a doctor's recommendation for medical cannabis use.

Retailers must follow Marysville's delivery vehicle requirements outlined in Section 5.10.340 of the Marysville Municipal Code. The delivery staff and the customer must save copies of the delivery request and make it available upon request of law enforcement and the Department of Cannabis Control.

How to Get Medical Marijuana Card in Yuba County

Individuals seeking to join the Medical Marijuana Identification Card (MMIC) Programin Yuba County may do so by downloading and filling out the Medical Marijuana Program Application Form. Applicants need to provide copies of their physician's recommendation, identification, and proof of residency showing their name and current address, such as a utility bill or a California DMV vehicle registration. A California-licensed doctor can recommend cannabis to manage any of the following medical conditions:

• Cancer
• Glaucoma
• Severe nausea
• Persistent muscle spasms
• Anorexia
• Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)
• Arthritis
• Chronic pain
• Seizures
• Cachexia
• Migraine

Medical marijuana identification card applicants in Yuba County must submit their applications in person at the county program office, where they will have their photos taken for the identification card. Primary caregivers to medical marijuana patients are also required to apply for identification cards. Primary caregivers must visit the office of the County Human and Health Services with their patients to apply for medical marijuana identification cards. They will also pay the required fees, not exceeding $100. Medi-Cal beneficiaries will receive a 50% reduction in the application fee. Fees are waived for indigent patients eligible to participate in the Yuba County Medical Services Program.

A scheduled appointment is required to apply for a medical marijuana card in Yuba County. Application submissions must be made in person at:

Yuba County Health and Human Services

5730 Packard Avenue 100

Marysville, CA 95901

Phone: (530) 749-6366

It may take 35 days for the county program to verify the application and make the MMIC available. Missing information or documentation may cause a delay in processing the application. Yuba County Health and Human Services will contact persons with incomplete applications within 30 days of submission.

How Has Cannabis Legalization Impacted the Economy of Yuba County?

The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) does not have data on marijuana sales and revenue for Yuba County. Data on cannabis license revenue for Yuba County is also not available. Data from the Marysville Finance Departmentshows significant growth to $400,000 in the 2020-2021 fiscal year, adding to Marysville's General Fund:

The General Fund is the major discretionary fund in Marysville's budget used to finance most general governmental operations.

Cannabis tax revenues increased by 909.2% between the 2018-2019 fiscal year and the 2019-2020 fiscal year and experienced a further increase of 10.1% in the 2020-2021 fiscal year. Marysville's economy may experience further financial expansion with the adoption of a new ordinance, Measure N, which amends and modernizes the current cannabis business tax law. Marysville also generated revenue from medical marijuana license fees of $39,166 in the 2018-2019 fiscal year and $21,100 in the 2019-2020 fiscal year, totaling over $60,000 in the income generated from the two fiscal years recorded. Data is currently unavailable for other years. Inferences from both tables suggest that Yuba County's economy could experience greater impact if commercial cannabis were legalized in the county.

The Effects of Cannabis Legalization on Crime Rates in Yuba County

Police Departments from counties in California submit crime data to the Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI. This data reveals the impact of cannabis cultivation and possession in various counties before and after cannabis legalization. The data set here provides crime data for arrests made by the Yuba County Sheriff's Office from 2014 to 2020.

Marijuana sale offenses in Yuba County experienced a sharp decline of 53% in 2018 compared to 2016 when cannabis was legalized in California. The decline was steady till 2020, where no arrests were recorded in the county. Since cannabis legislation in 2016, DUI arrests have been significantly reduced in Yuba County, while the legalization does not seem to have made much impact on arrests for marijuana possession offenses.