Washington DC Cannabis News

The Washington D.C. City Council gave unanimous and final approval to a medical cannabis reforms package, capping a nearly two-year journey for the bill from its proposal to passage.

The Washington D.C. City Council unanimously approved a medical cannabis reforms package this week which contains tax relief for licensed companies, the removal of cannabis industry license caps, and more.

A recent Washington D.C. proposal would let the District’s unregulated cannabis shops seek retail licenses under the local medical cannabis program.

A Washington, D.C. cannabis company has filed a lawsuit for nearly $800,000 in damaged product and cash seized during raids on multiple locations last year.

Cannabis businesses operating in DC are not sure what to expect from the increased regulatory oversight. One business owner said, “This doesn’t seem like they’re working to bring us into conversations. It does follow a similar trend, that they are trying to crush small businesses.”

Washington D.C. residents aged 21+ who apply for medical cannabis access will now receive a temporary authorization card while their application is being reviewed that will give immediate access to the District’s licensed dispensaries.

Medical cannabis patients in Washington DC are now allowed to self-certify that their consumption is for medical purposes and will no longer need a physician recommendation.

Washington D.C. Councilmembers are set to vote on an emergency bill today eliminating the need for a doctor’s note to purchase medical cannabis by allowing individuals to ‘self-certify’ that they use cannabis for medical purposes.

Despite President Biden’s campaign promise to reform federal cannabis laws, applicants interested in White House internships must disclose prior cannabis use, which could affect their eligibility even if the consumption took place in a legalized state.

The Washington D.C. City Council passed a bill to protect employees in the District from being fired for positive cannabis drug tests.

In a debate last week between the top three mayoral candidates in Washington D.C., the topic of cannabis was absent despite being a major focal point for the District.

A group of Washington D.C. cannabis advocates recently brought thousands of pounds of supplies to citizens displaced by the ongoing and destructive invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces.

Washington D.C. is waiving medical cannabis registration fees and the local 6% sales tax on medical cannabis products through April 24, hoping to attract more patients to the District’s licensed dispensaries.

The D.C. Council this week rejected an emergency bill targeting cannabis gifting operations over concerns that the crackdown would disproportionately affect Black residents.

The so-called “Harris rider,” a Congressional rider preventing Washington D.C. from regulating its adult-use cannabis market, was included in this year’s omnibus spending package under the budget of President Joe Biden (D).

The Washington, D.C. City Council approved a bill allowing medical cannabis patients with expired program ID cards to continue using the cards through the end of January but first removed provisions that addressed cannabis “gifting” in the District.

A bill being considered by the Washington, D.C. City Council would crack down on the practice of cannabis “gifting” by local businesses.

Senate Democrats have removed a provision from a proposed appropriations bill that has prevented Washington, D.C. from allowing cannabis sales to adults.

The Washington, D.C. City Council has scheduled a public hearing next month to consider legislation to allow adult-use cannabis sales in the district.

Many standalone dispensaries in D.C. are direct competitors with their suppliers, which is causing product shortages for retailers who aren’t vertically integrated.

Cannabis activists and industry representatives in Washington D.C. are disappointed by the Biden Administration’s continued ban on adult-use cannabis sales in the District.

For D.C.’s fledgling medical cannabis industry, the pandemic brought significant challenges as businesses looked for ways to accommodate patients without putting them at risk of contracting a potentially deadly disease.