Washington D.C.’s City Council has reversed a decision that would have allowed the social consumption of cannabis at clubs holding private events. The law would have taken effect January 15th.
When D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser got wind of the proposed regulation, she successfully lobbied several of the council members to reverse their vote.
Mayor Bowser’s concerns about the law stemmed from a lack of legal guidelines concerning private club use, which she felt would put law enforcement in a tricky position. Councilmembers agreed that Bowser’s concerns were worth being addressed before moving ahead with the law.
Councilman Jack Evans of Ward 2 said, “She made some valid points. This could be the Wild West if this doesn’t get taken care of.”
“By allowing the current law to lapse in a couple of weeks, there would actually be some disorder,” said Council Chairman Phil Mendelson. “Several members realized that actually was more of a problem than they had realized on the initiative vote.”
The council stated that its policy can be summed up in four words: Home grow, home use. Smoking in any public establishment — whether it’s being used ‘privately’ or not — remains illegal.
Council judiciary chairman Kenyan McDuffie said that the council will continue to consider whether the law should be changed in the future.
Photo Credit: Ted Eytan