From my blog post: https://polimetrics.substack.com/p/when-cities-copy-each-other

Data from California Department of Cannabis Control. Visual made in RStudio.

California legalized recreational marijuana in 2016, but left its cities, towns, and counties to decide whether they would allow certain types of marijuana businesses to operate within their jurisdiction.

About 53% of municipalities don’t allow any marijuana businesses in their jurisdiction, even though marijuana is legal at the state level. This has led to large differences in availability across the state and interesting adoption patterns.

Posted by Public_Finance_Guy

22 comments

  1. Surprising how much of the area around LA prohibits retail sales.

  2. Anyone have California’s map of political affiliation by county?

  3. I was shocked when I went to Big Bear, CA and the only way to get weed was to join a “church” and give a “suggested” donation for the supplied ganja. Weird vibes but the weed was legit.

  4. So do places that prohibit the sale of marijuana lose out on the benefits the sales tax brings in?

  6. Why is Bart Simpson sticking his nose into the Bay Area?

  7. This chart seems weird. I see two counties shown as red that I have legally purchased weed in. Is this saying that the county level has it prohibited, but the cities that cover the majority of the county can have it allowed and still show up as prohibited on this chart?

  8. It was better when it was illegal IMO. The rush from meeting the plug was better than the effect of the drug.

  9. You should also check for datapoints on alcohol retail permits issued on that map, i bet a lot of people self medicate the same way cannabis users do.

  10. Damn, it looks like even weed is gerrymandered in 2025.

  12. Any idea what’s going on with the Channel Islands? I thought Catalina was the only one with any sort of development, but there are 3 islands that allow the sale 

  13. Is it legal to possess marijuana in the counties that prohibit sales?

  14. South San Francisco is weird like that. You can go to
    Pacifica and be fine otherwise you need delivery from the city to San Mateo etc.

  15. Fuckin San Mateo county needs to get with the fuckin program

    Although you can get it delivered to any address you want with a free app

  16. Ventura and LA counties having such a large part of their counties red surprised me.

  17. Out of the large urban areas, San Diego seems to be the most weed friendly. Surprised and also not surprised, but interesting because people from LA and the Bay Area always talk about how conservative we are. Our politicians are also more pro-housing than LA.

  18. It’s hard to tell, but it almost looks like weed is not allowed for sale in Weed California.

  19. Member when giving everyone pot was supposed to end all crime and destroy the drug cartels. Now we have those, but everyone is crashing into each other on the highway high and never shows up to work anymore. Plus the opioid epidemic.

  20. Weird to say Nevada is more liberal on this. I legit saw random shacks on the side of the road there selling weed

  21. Meh, I live in one of the red areas. I just order it online and someone delivers it within the hour.

  22. I would be curious to see this overlaid at the county level based on their voting Republican vs Democrat. Might be some interesting outliers there. For example rich counties that vote Democrat but outlaw weed since they worry about the poors getting out of control.

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