The wait is FINALLY over! We’re extremely excited to announce that as of Saturday January 20th, 2018 The Higher Path is the first dispensary in Los Angeles OFFICIALLY OPEN for recreational cannabis sales! Here’s what you need to know about coming to see us whether you’re a recreational consumer or a medical cannabis patient:
(1) Adult Use Recreational Consumers: All adults 21 & over can now get cannabis from The Higher Path with a valid photo ID (or passport)–on your first visit you’ll need to register with us at the Front Desk! You’ll need to bring your valid ID with you every time you come to The Higher Path so that we can confirm you are of legal age to enter the dispensary. Individuals who do not have a valid ID will not be allowed to enter The Higher Path.
(2) Medical Cannabis Patients: Anyone over the age of 18 who has a valid MMJ recommendation from a doctor (like the one you’ve been using when you come to see us) & a California ID can get medical cannabis from The Higher Path. If you’re new to The Higher Path, you’ll need to register at the Front Desk on your first visit! As of right now, products available to recreational consumers & medical patients are the same (with the exception of some edibles only available to medical patients), but medical patients will save on taxes. To save the most on taxes, you can choose to register with the county for a Medical Marijuana Identification Card. Getting a Medical Marijuana Identification Card is not required to be a medical cannabis patient in California, but individuals who have these cards will save the most on taxes. Please remember to bring your MMJ recommendation, MMIC (if you have one) & California ID with you every time you come to see us–we cannot let you in without checking these documents.
In regards to taxes, here’s what’s happening at The Higher Path:
Since we are now licensed & able to accept products from licensed vendors & distributors, taxes will include ALL of the taxes placed on Adult Use Cannabis in the state of California per Prop 64. (This differs from the first few weeks of January. When our wholesale prices are increased by licensed distributors, you will likely see an increase in product price.)
These taxes include:
Taxes you’ll see on your receipt:
*10% Local Tax–this tax may vary based on the city a dispensary is operating in, but in Los Angeles it’s 10%
*9.5% Sales Tax–like the Local Tax, Sales Tax may vary based on the city the dispensary is operating in, but here in Los Angeles it will be 9.5%
Taxes you WON’T see on your receipt, but that will affect product prices:
*15% State Excise Tax–this tax is universal throughout the state of California, so no matter where a dispensary is located they’ll be required to pay this tax
*15% Cultivation Tax–essentially a tax on the raw goods used to make cannabis products like edibles & cartridges
*15% Distributor Tax–this tax is collected by the distributor, but it still affects the prices of products on the shelf
*In addition to these taxes, fees for secure transportation of cannabis products & lab testing will likely be reflected in the prices you see at legal dispensaries.
Now you’re probably wondering–“How much am I actually going to have to pay in taxes?” It varies depending on whether you’re purchasing as a recreational consumer or as a medical patient.
(1) Adult Use Recreational Taxes: Individuals purchasing cannabis recreationally will be charged a 10% Local Tax & 9.5% Sales Tax.
(2) Medical Patients with a Doctors Recommendation: Individuals who have a MMJ recommendation from a doctor (like the one you currently use when you come to The Higher Path) will be charged a 5% Local Tax & 9.5% Sales Tax. (Total savings of 5% on Local Tax)
(3) Medical Patients with a County Medical Marijuana Identification Card: Individuals who obtain a MMIC from the county will be charged a 5% Local Tax. (Total savings of 14.5%–5% on Local Tax & 9.5% on Sales Tax)
Here’s an example of how you can expect the total cost of your order to change with taxes being added:
Under Prop 215, a 180mg Kiva Bar at The Higher Path used to cost $20. Now that we are open for Adult Use that same Kiva Bar will now only be able to contain 100mg of THC broken up into ten 10mg pieces for easy dosing. Factoring in all of the taxes we mentioned above, that 100mg Kiva Bar will end up costing around $32 to an Adult Use Recreational Consumer (as we stated above, if you’ve got a medical recommendation or county ID card you’ll save anywhere from 5%-14.5%).
With all these changes happening, you can rest assured that The Higher Path will continue to provide the amazing service & quality products that our members have come to expect from us since our opening in 2013. We look forward to sharing our love for cannabis with the new recreational market here in Los Angeles & showing everyone what it means to Take The Higher Path!
If you have questions about how we’ll be operating moving forward, feel free to leave us a comment down below or email us at info@thehigherpath.com!
