Newsletter: Essential California: Legal marijuana is here — the good, the bad and the ugly

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It is Saturday, Dec. 30. Here’s what you don’t want to miss this weekend:

TOP STORIES

In the ’burbs: Like housing, malls, auto dealerships and big-box stores, cannabis is fleeing the city and taking the first exit where land is cheap, rules are reasonable and markets are still within reach. Los Angeles Times

It’s complicated: The messy details of marijuana legalization in California have left some Los Angeles pot businesses uneasy about how to follow the new law. To sell cannabis commercially starting in January — whether for medical or recreational use — a pot shop must have a state license. And to get a state license, it needs to have local approval. Los Angeles Times

Plus:

— Will crime rise with legalization? Los Angeles Times

— This pot grower is worried about what will happen. Washington Post

— The mad scramble in one small town. Washington Post

— Can you smoke in class? Sacramento Bee

Long Beach shooting: A workplace shooting in a quiet neighborhood of Long Beach on Friday left two men dead, including the shooter, officials said. The gunman died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound and did not engage with police. Police found a weapon at the scene. Los Angeles Times

What to do: Determining your exposure to traffic pollution isn’t as simple as measuring your home’s distance from the nearest freeway. Even small variations in wind patterns, the direction of the freeway, the types of vehicles and buildings around you and the time of day can have a big effect on your health. Los Angeles Times

Bite out of crime: Homicides and gun deaths were down in Los Angeles in 2017, a payoff of building closer ties between police and communities and increased efforts to remove firearms from the streets. Los Angeles Times

Ties that bind: Strong bonds of community in Ojai helped residents survive the Thomas fire. Los Angeles Times

Tragic tale: Cynthia Szukala endured hardship and homelessness before she was killed by a hit-and-run driver. But family and friends say her life was defined more by a bright outlook and generosity. The 69-year-old also achieved brief notoriety as a skid row bride. Her life ended tragically, and in a way that brought her back into the news. Los Angeles Times

The future is now: From the Beverly Center and new eateries to faster buses, what L.A. has to look forward to in 2018. Curbed Los Angeles

Forecast says: Could Northern California finally get wet again with a new atmospheric river? The Mercury News

Big moves? The CEO of Redfin predicts a mass exodus from Silicon Valley and other pricey California coastal spots to inland areas that are cheaper. “Silicon Valley is going to leave Silicon Valley — that’s already happened.” CNBC

Big surprise: Among the gourmets, the Buttery Jack from Jack in the Box makes the top L.A. burgers list: “Oh don’t make that face. Don’t act like you’re too good for Jack in the Box.” Los Angeles Magazine

Down to earth: Kelly Marie Tran, the San Diego native who landed the role of a lifetime in the latest “Star Wars” movie, plans to use her money pay off student loans. CNBC

Go team? It was a tough year to be a sports fan in San Diego. Will 2018 be any better? San Diego Union-Tribune

Fog city: How tech has transformed the San Francisco skyline. New York Times

It’s … shimmery: And what exactly is that piece of art along the Sacramento River? Sacramento Bee

THIS WEEK’S MOST POPULAR STORIES IN ESSENTIAL CALIFORNIA

1. How California’s new laws for 2018 will affect you. Los Angeles Times

2. Living in a parking lot amid Santa Barbara’s wealth is a kind of middle-class homelessness. Los Angeles Times

3. For all of Nathaniel Ayers’ setbacks, he still finds hope and sanity in the music. Los Angeles Times

4. The mysterious case of the boy found hanging in a barn. The Mercury News

5. A hand transplant changes a Hollywood executive’s life. Los Angeles Magazine

BEST OF 2017

“Dirty John”: Debra Newell’s corn-silk-blond hair fell in waves over her shoulders. She wore high Gucci heels and designer jeans, and carried a Chanel bag — all in preparation for her first date with John Meehan. Her new suitor worried Newell’s adult children, who sensed he was dangerous. And they were right — Meehan wasn’t just a con artist; he was a drug addict, disgraced nurse anesthetist, prolific grifter and a black-hearted Lothario. The unraveling of the Debra Newell-John Meehan relationship filled Christopher Goffard’s six-part series and his hugely popular podcast. Los Angeles Times

The governor in chief: Jerry Brown always wanted to be president of the United States. That never worked out, but as governor of California (in term 4!) in the era of Trump, he has taken on the role of leader of the opposition, and become a global superpower in his own right. For better or worse, as David Siders explains. Politico

Temple of consumption: From its not-so-humble start in Beverly Hills in 1978, the Cheesecake Factory has become a symbol of what is right — or totally wrong — about food portions and architecture. Kelsey Lawrence on how the over-the-top ornateness of the restaurants became a calling card and a curse — and a forerunner for the rest of the industry. Eater

She was his rock: The wrenching story of a failed NFL player accused of killing his mother. By Nathan Fenno. Los Angeles Times

Mexico’s housing crisis: Richard Marosi called it “a Levittown moment for Mexico,” a monumental campaign to provide affordable homes for the masses. But $100 billion later, what is there to show for it? Across Mexico, roofs leak, walls crack and appliances blow out as the program has collapsed into a social and financial catastrophe. Los Angeles Times

Lionized: How some very dangerous predators — the mountain lions that stalk and kill in L.A.’s hills — became surprising celebrities in a town that loves notoriety. Dana Goodyear writes about whether this will all end badly. The New Yorker

The price of feeling good: In the 1980s, there was really a “self-esteem” movement in California. Will Storr asked whether the obsession with self-regard made us stronger, or just more annoying. The Guardian

Finally: An interview with California’s foremost chronicler, historian Kevin Starr, who died this year. Boom California

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Benjamin Oreskes and Shelby Grad. Also follow them on Twitter @boreskes and @shelbygrad.