Washington D.C. residents aged 21 and older can now access a temporary medical cannabis authorization card “immediately” after applying for medical cannabis access, according to a press release.
The temporary cards are good for 30 days while patient applications are being processed. Once granted, a temporary card will allow purchases at any of D.C.’s legal cannabis shops. When an application is approved, residents will receive both a digital and physical copy of their card, the report says.
The change, reported by the D.C. Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA), comes on the heels of a significant policy change in July that allows D.C. residents to self-certify themselves for medical cannabis, rather than needing to see a health care practitioner. There are four licensed dispensary locations in the District.
Due to federal oversight, changes to D.C. laws must be approved by the House of Representatives, and because of this, the District has struggled to implement its own adult-use cannabis market despite becoming one of the very first U.S. jurisdictions to pass legalization in 2014. As a result, a cannabis “gifting” economy has flourished in D.C. where customers can buy unrelated products that come with a “gift” of cannabis.
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