Cannabis in Los Angeles

Legal age

21+ (18+ with medical recommendation)

Daily limit

28.5 g flower, 8 g concentrate, 6 immature plants

State excise

15% (back from 19% since Oct 1, 2025)

City cannabis business tax

10% of gross receipts on adult-use retail

Sales tax

9.75% in most of the city

Delivery

Yes, from licensed retailers with a delivery endorsement

Public use

Illegal on streets, parks, beaches and in cars

How big is the licensed market in Los Angeles?

Los Angeles has the largest count of storefront licenses of any California city, and Verdex lists 147 of them from the Department of Cannabis Control register. That count covers the City of Los Angeles only: West Hollywood, Culver City, Santa Monica and Long Beach are separate cities with their own rules and their own pages. Our state overview at California cannabis rules and ratings covers what applies everywhere.

Stores are spread thin in some districts and packed in others. The table below reflects where the licensed retailers we profile actually sit, not a ranking.

What will you pay at the register?

Expect roughly a third on top of the shelf price once every layer is added. The state cannabis excise tax is 15% of gross receipts; the Legislature raised it to 19% on July 1, 2025, then AB 564 returned it to 15% from October 1, 2025 through June 30, 2028. The City of Los Angeles adds a 10% business tax on adult-use retail sales, which most stores pass through, and sales tax of 9.75% applies in most of the city. Medical patients who show a state medical ID card are exempt from sales tax, not from excise. The city also put Measure CB on the June 2026 primary ballot to apply the same 10% rate to unlicensed sellers, according to the City Clerk.

How do you tell a licensed LA store from an unlicensed one?

Every licensed retailer must post its state license number (it starts with C10) at the entrance and on ads. Los Angeles has had a long-running problem with unlicensed storefronts and pop-up delivery services that copy real brand names, so check the number against the Department of Cannabis Control license search before you pay. Our Red List of flagged sellers tracks operators we have seen misrepresenting licenses, and the first-visit guide to ID, payment and questions covers what a legitimate checkout looks like.

Delivery, lounges and the airport

Licensed delivery can only come from a licensed retailer and must go to a private address, not a hotel lobby or park. Consumption lounges are licensed in neighboring West Hollywood rather than widely inside Los Angeles. At LAX, federal rules apply at TSA checkpoints and on planes, so do not try to fly out with cannabis.