County ordinance now covers underage marijuana use

SAN DIEGO - The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted on Tuesday, May 21 to amend an ordinance to make it illegal for adults to provide minors with marijuana.

The board's unanimous vote pertains to the social host ordinance which imposes civil and criminal liability on adults who don't properly supervise minors and prevent them from obtaining or consuming alcoholic beverages. The measure, which has been on the books since 2003, will be expanded to include marijuana "as a substance that cannot be consumed by a minor in such social settings, except for medical purposes if authorized under state law.''

Because recreational marijuana usage is now legal in California, minors are now more likely to be exposed to cannabis and its possible harmful effects, according to county officials.