"Should I renew my medical rec? Starting in 2018, I can walk into a dispensary and purchase what I need, so why should I renew my medical rec. and pay $59?"
Hello there. Many locations in California won’t be ready for Jan 1. Basically all cannabis businesses will need licenses from their county and CA. But CA won’t give out licenses until the counties do it first, and many counties are still figuring out what their rules will be! So people may not be able to just stroll into a dispensary come January. Some other reasons to keep/renew your medical card: medical marijuana will be cheaper than recreational cannabis; a medical rec gives you access to a doctor, who can give you expert advice on treating any conditions you’re dealing with (budtenders are great and knowledgeable, but they’re not doctors); you have to be 21 to consume recreational cannabis, but only 18 to qualify for a medical card; because of the regulations, some dispensaries will be medical only. This article below will give you more info on the whole situation. Hope this helped!
gabriella
Hi @greenleaves, I wrote this article a while back on the benefits of renewing your medical marijuana recommendation–it answers a lot of your questions, but of course let us know if you have any more. https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5a302030100a820006562ebf/why-youll-still-need-a-medical-recommendation-after-jan-1
Danielle Lim
