In November 2016, California voters legalized cannabis for recreational use, but let municipalities decide whether they want to allow marijuana businesses and the kinds of activities required to bring pot to market, like cultivation and manufacturing.

Four local cities have gone all in, but the biggest of these, San Diego, is still working to establish a local supply chain. National City is also in the process of drafting its own regulations to allow cannabis businesses to operate. In the meantime, several other cities have crafted rules allowing medical businesses to operate within their jurisdiction and another two, Encinitas and Solana Beach, are expected to put ballot measures before voters this year to pave the way for cannabis-related businesses.

The remaining municipalities in the region ban cannabis businesses completely, but delivery services remains legal wherever you live in California, thanks to state law.

Keeping up with all this can be confusing, so I partnered with NBC 7’s Catherine Garcia to explain where cannabis is and isn’t legal to buy in San Diego County.

Jesse Marx is Voice of San Diego's associate editor.

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