Updated on August 21, 2019. Medical content reviewed by Dr. Joseph Rosado, MD, M.B.A, Chief Medical Officer
Patients in District of Columbia diagnosed with one of the following severe, debilitating, or life-threatening medical conditions, are afforded legal protection under the District of Columbia Medical Marijuana law, as per “Legalization of Marijuana for Medical Treatment Amendment Act of 2010” — Amendment Act B18-622:
Out of state patients visiting from Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont & Washington who hold valid, unrestricted Medical Marijuana cards are able to purchase up to four (4) oz. of Medical Marijuana Product from Dispensaries located in the District of Columbia.
August 2019 – D.C. expands reciprocity agreement to 27 states. Registered patients holding a valid Medical Marijuana Card from Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Nevada, New Mexico, New York and Vermont can now purchase up to four (4) oz. of Medical Marijuana Product every thirty (30) days. Out of state patients from Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Washington have been eligible to purchase up to four (4) oz. of product from Dispensaries since 2018.
On May 4, 2010, the Council of the District of Columbia, approved Amendment Act B18-622 in a vote of 13-0, establishing the “Legalization of Marijuana for Medical Treatment Amendment Act of 2010.” The law removes state-level criminal penalties on the use and possession of medical marijuana (also referred to as medical weed, medical pot or medical cannabis) by qualifying patients who obtain a recommendation from their physician. The law also requires patients to register with a medical marijuana program to obtain marijuana card.
At this time, the Mayor and the Department of Health are still establishing the DC program. Unlike most Medical Marijuana States, District of Columbia does NOT permit home cultivation of marijuana, and requires patients to obtain a limited amount of marijuana, from a DC-monitored dispensary.
Some medical marijuana patients will claim they have a doctor’s prescription for medical marijuana, but marijuana prescriptions are in fact illegal. The federal government classifies marijuana as a schedule I drug. Therefore doctors are unable to prescribe marijuana to their patients, and medical marijuana patients cannot go to a pharmacy to fill a prescription for medical marijuana. Instead, medical marijuana doctors in District of Columbia will supply patients with a medical marijuana recommendation in compliance with state law.
According to District of Columbia medical marijuana laws, DC patients are permitted to purchase up to two (2) ounces of dried medical marijuana per month, or the equivalent of two ounces of dried medical marijuana when sold in any other form. Home cultivation is NOT permitted.
Access to medical cannabis improved for D.C. residents in March 2017, when the city council agreed to increase the number of marijuana dispensaries allowed throughout the city. The vote to do so was unanimous, and the mayor quickly signed it into law.
While the change was only from five dispensaries to six, even this small move increased access for thousands of patients meeting D.C. medical marijuana qualifications. The only people who can currently access dispensaries are patients who have registered with the district and have a physician’s recommendation for cannabis.
The City Council also approved a measure in March 2017 that would allow patients who have valid cannabis cards from other states to be able to obtain medical marijuana in the District of Columbia. This is known as a “reciprocity” program and is very helpful for those who travel and need access to medical weed. The council also increased the number of cannabis plants that can be legally grown at cultivation centers from 500 to 1,000.
At MarijuanaDoctors.com, we want to be your single “go-to” source for information regarding medical cannabis. Whether you are interested in D.C. medical marijuana qualifications, you want to learn how to obtain a medical cannabis card in D.C. or anything else, please turn to us first.
Finally, a helpful & informative website! MarijuanaDoctors.com answered all of my medical marijuana questions and helped me schedule an appointment with an accredited doctor in my area.~Susan - Denver, CO