Feeling a little bleary eyed but excited after a long flight, I took an Uber to one of the few dispensaries in Los Angeles that has managed to get a temporary license for the sale of recreational marijuana. Not everyone managed to get one on 1 January 2018. This particular dispensary in West Hollywood has been operating since the 1990s, when medical cannabis gained a foothold as a potent painkiller used by victims of AIDS. The driver slowed down as we approached the dispensary. There was a sign but it wasn’t very clear and the shop windows were tinted black. “It looks closed,” I said. “That’s what they all look like,” my driver replied. I got out of my ride and joined the back of a small queue. “How long do you think this will take?” I asked a guy in a black t-shirt who looked like a staff member. “About an hour from where you are now? We’re going as fast as we can ma’am.” “No worries. Some people have been waiting for this …