Thousand Oaks, CA Public Conduct: Public Marijuana Use (2026)
Key Facts
- Public smoking
- Prohibited statewide
- School-zone fine
- Up to $250
- In a vehicle
- Prohibited (driver/passenger)
- Governing law
- HSC §11362.3
Summary
Smoking, vaping, or otherwise consuming cannabis in any public place is illegal in Thousand Oaks under California Health and Safety Code §11362.3. Use is allowed only on private property where the owner does not prohibit it.
(a) Section 11362.1 does not permit any person to: (1) Smoke or ingest cannabis or cannabis products in a public place, except in accordance with Section 26200 of the Business and Professions Code. (2) Smoke cannabis or cannabis products in a location where smoking tobacco is prohibited. (3) Smoke cannabis or cannabis products within 1,000 feet of a school, day care center, or youth center while children are present at the school, day care center, or youth center, except in or upon the grounds of a private residence or in accordance with Section 26200 of the Business and Professions Code and only if such smoking is not detectable by others on the grounds of the school, day care center, or youth center while children are present. (4) Possess an open container or open package of cannabis or cannabis products while driving, operating, or riding in the passenger seat or compartment of a motor vehicle, boat, vessel, aircraft, or other vehicle used for transportation. (5) Possess, smoke, or ingest cannabis or cannabis products in or upon the grounds of a school, day care center, or youth center while children are present.
Full Breakdown
Proposition 64 legalized adult cannabis use in California but expressly retained public-use prohibitions. Health and Safety Code §11362.3(a) makes it an infraction to smoke or ingest cannabis in any public place, in or within 1,000 feet of a school, daycare, or youth center while children are present, or while driving or as a passenger in a motor vehicle. Thousand Oaks enforces these rules through the Ventura County Sheriff and treats violations as $100 infractions. Indoor smoking is also barred wherever tobacco smoking is prohibited. Edibles in public are permitted unless they violate other rules (e.g., open-container-style park rules), but smoking and vaping are not.
Violations & Fines
$100 infraction for public smoking; $250 in school zones with minors present; possible misdemeanor for use while driving under Vehicle Code §23222.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I smoke cannabis in a Thousand Oaks park?
Can passengers consume cannabis on a road trip?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Thousand Oaks
California rules heatmap·Compare Thousand Oaks to another location·View the California public conduct overview
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Public Marijuana Use in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Ventura County handle public marijuana use.