Today, cannabis is legal in California for both medicinal and adult (recreational) use. The cannabis industry is strictly regulated.Buying, using, and distributing marijuana has been legal in California since 2016, when California passed Proposition 64, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA). It appears that the legal California recreational marijuana industry is being very careful to avoid selling marijuana to underage customers. Sacramento: Any of the 30 existing medical dispensaries that complete permitting requirements will be able to sell recreationally on Jan. 1. Cannabis in California has been legal for medical use since 1996, and for recreational use since late 2016. Retail sales of marijuana for recreational use are now legal in California. Cannabis business owners in California say high taxes and burdensome regulations are not only killing their profits but causing the illegal market to thrive. Sacramento State and other CSU campuses will remain officially pot free, despite legalization of recreational marijuana use in California. Proposition 64 allows adults 21 years or older to cultivate, possess, and use marijuana legally for recreational purposes.