Can I be fired for smoking weed? What’s too high to drive? Know these CA laws
Sunday has special significance for fans of cannabis culture.
April 20, known as 4/20, is celebrated by marijuana enthusiasts across the globe.
Although cannabis use is generally legal in California, the Golden State has a number of laws regulating how it can be cultivated and consumed.
Here’s what to know:
Can I grow cannabis at home?
Under California’s Adult Use of Marijuana Act, people 21 and older can legally grow, possess and use cannabis for recreational use.
You can grow up to six plants at your California home for personal use only.
However, you can’t use volatile solvents — butane or propane — to process the cannabis you grow, according to the California Department of Cannabis Control.
Breaking the rules about residential cannabis cultivation can result in a fine or prison sentence.
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Can I get fired for smoking weed in my off-hours?
Assembly Bill 2188, which went into effect in 2024, bans California employers from firing, penalizing or creating employment conditions for workers based on cannabis use off the job or away from the workplace.
That means some employees cannot be fired or denied work for smoking marijuana in their off-hours.
However, the law does not apply to workers in the building and construction industry, or positions that require federal background checks.
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Can you get in trouble for smoking weed in your backyard?
You’re generally allowed to smoke weed on private property including your own backyard, according to the California Department of Cannabis Control website.
You cannot smoke weed:
- In public places such as restaurants and bars
- Where it’s illegal to smoke tobacco
- Within 1,000 feet of a school or children’s center when children are present
However, property owners can ban renters from smoking marijuana or using other cannabis products.
If your marijuana use bothers your neighbors, it could be considered a nuisance, defined by California Civil Code 3479 as anything that is “injurious to health” or obstructs the free use of property.
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Can I get a ticket for driving while high?
“It is illegal to drive while under the influence of alcohol or any drug” that impairs your ability to operate a vehicle, the California Department of Motor Vehicles said on its website.
Cannabis, illegal drugs, prescription drugs and even over-the-counter medications can “all affect your ability to drive safely and react to what you see and hear,” the DMV said.
Law enforcement agencies use a series of physical and mental exercises — known as field sobriety tests — to determine whether drivers are under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
These tests can indicate to officers whether the driver should undergo a blood alcohol content test or a breath test to determine how much alcohol is present in their bloodstream, a Sacramento Police Department officer previously told The Sacramento Bee.
However, there’s no similar way to measure who is “too high” to drive.
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What’s the difference between edibles and smoking?
Smoking marijuana and consuming cannabis-laced edibles can both lift your mood, but there are some key differences between the two.
Smoked or vaped marijuana enters the lungs and is absorbed into the bloodstream, according to cannabis education site Leafly, while edibles are processed in the stomach and liver.
That means edibles feel stronger and the effects will last a lot longer.
Smoking weed and ingesting cannabis also have varying effects on your health.
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This story was originally published April 20, 2025 at 9:00 AM with the headline "Can I be fired for smoking weed? What’s too high to drive? Know these CA laws."
