San Diego cannabis law
How much is the tax on weed in San Diego?
Rates read from the state and each local government on October 27, 2026
On a $100 purchase at a licensed San Diego County store you pay $123.91 to $125.06 before any city cannabis tax. California adds a 15% cannabis excise tax, then sales tax of 7.75% to 8.75% on the price plus that excise. Where a city allows it, a store can also add the city's cannabis tax, which is taxed too.
Adult-use tax on a $100 in-store purchase, city by city
| Where you buy in store | Sales tax | You pay on $100 | City cannabis tax | If the store adds it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of San Diego | 7.75% | $123.91 | 10%, Measure N (2016) | $136.30 |
| La Mesa | 8.5% | $124.78 | 4%, Measure V (2018) | $129.77 |
| Vista | 8.25% | $124.49 | None confirmed | — |
| Chula Vista | 8.75% | $125.06 | None confirmed | — |
| Lemon Grove | 8.75% | $125.06 | 5%, Measure J (2020) | Not allowed |
| Encinitas | 7.75% | $123.91 | None confirmed | — |
| National City | 8.75% | $125.06 | None confirmed | — |
| Santee | 7.75% | $123.91 | None confirmed | — |
| Unincorporated county | 7.75% | $123.91 | 2%, Measure A (2022) | Not allowed |
| Imperial Beach | 8.75% | $125.06 | None confirmed | — |
Vista taxes cannabis businesses; we could not read the current rate on the city’s own website. A current Chula Vista cannabis business tax rate has not been confirmed. Ask the store which local amount appears on its receipt. Encinitas taxes cannabis businesses under Measure L (2022); we could not read the current rate on the city’s own website. No verified local cannabis business tax rate is included here for National City. Ask the store about any local charges. No verified local cannabis business tax rate is included here for Santee. Ask the store about any local charges. No verified local cannabis business tax rate is included here for Imperial Beach. Ask the store about any local charges.
The taxes on a cannabis receipt
The state cannabis excise tax is 15% of the price of every retail sale. The store collects it and shows it as its own line on your receipt.
Sales tax is the same rate you pay on other purchases where the store is, from 7.75% to 8.75% in San Diego County. It is charged on the price plus the excise tax, which is why a $100 purchase in the City of San Diego carries $8.91 of sales tax, not $7.75.
A city or county cannabis business tax is owed by the store on its sales, not by you. A store may add it to your receipt where local law allows; if it does, the excise and sales tax are charged on that amount as well. Lemon Grove and Unincorporated county prohibit passing it on.
Medical card holders
Show a state medical marijuana identification card and a government-issued ID, and the sale is exempt from sales tax. The excise tax still applies: $100 costs $115.00. A physician's recommendation without the state card does not exempt the sale.
Common questions
How much is the tax on weed in San Diego?
On a $100 adult-use purchase, $23.91 to $25.06: a 15% state cannabis excise tax, then sales tax of 7.75% to 8.75% on the price plus the excise. A store may also add its city's cannabis tax to the receipt where the city allows it.
What is the cannabis excise tax in California?
15% of the price of each retail sale. The store collects it from you and shows it on its own line of the receipt. It was 19% from July 1 to September 30, 2025, and has been 15% since October 1, 2025.
Why is the sales tax more than the sales tax rate?
Because sales tax is charged on the price plus the cannabis excise tax, not on the price alone. On $100 in the City of San Diego the excise is $15.00, and the 7.75% sales tax is charged on $115.00.
Do medical card holders pay less tax?
Yes, if you show a state medical marijuana identification card and a government-issued ID: the sale is exempt from sales tax. The 15% excise tax still applies, so $100 costs $115.00. A doctor's recommendation alone does not exempt the sale.
Can a store add the city cannabis tax to my receipt?
In City of San Diego and La Mesa it may, and then the excise and sales tax are charged on that amount too. Lemon Grove and Unincorporated county prohibit charging the tax to customers.
Sources
- California Department of Tax and Fee Administration — Cannabis Tax Law — Revenue and Taxation Code section 34011.2, the cannabis excise tax
- California Department of Tax and Fee Administration — Tax Guide for Cannabis Businesses — Retailers
- California Department of Tax and Fee Administration — Sales and Use Tax Law — Revenue and Taxation Code section 6369.6, medicinal cannabis
- California Department of Tax and Fee Administration — California City and County Sales and Use Tax Rates, effective October 1, 2026
- City of San Diego — San Diego Municipal Code, chapter 3, article 4, division 1 — Cannabis Business Tax
- City of La Mesa — Cannabis Business Tax
- City of Lemon Grove — Cannabis Business Tax
- San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector — Cannabis Tax Administration — rates and the Cannabis Business Tax ordinance
Before you buy
- How much you can buy in a day, and carry.
- Each store's own deals page, by city.
- Every licensed dispensary in San Diego County.
Updated 2026-10-29. Latest source check 2026-10-27.