Medical marijuana has been legal in the city since 1998, but congressional efforts to prevent the opening of dispensaries, delayed availability to the public until 2011. In fact, the first legal medical purchase of marijuana in the city came in 2013, just a year before the city legalized recreational pot. Medical cannabis in the District was legalized by the passage of the Legalization of Marijuana for Medical Treatment Amendment Act of 2010. This amendment allows DC residents, including minors, to be prescribed, purchase, possess, and use cannabis to treat a diagnosed qualifying medical condition or related side effect.
Who Oversees the Medical Marijuana Program in the District of Columbia?
The Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration was granted oversight of the medical marijuana program in the District of Columbia when emergency rules were implemented in 2020. The administration oversees patient, caregiver, dispensary, processing, and cultivation applications as well as the regulation of these facilities to ensure a safe product is delivered to each patient.
District of Columbia Medical Sale Restrictions
The regulation of marijuana sales has defined purchase limitations for consumers. These limitations are outlined in the District of Columbia Dispensary Standard Operating Procedures.
Every business needs standard operating procedures to succeed and operate in a compliant manner. We have the following District of Columbia specific marijuana SOPs:
