Over 120 businesses in both manufacturing and cultivation categories applied for licenses last year, but not one has opened in the District. This is unlike the dispensaries that have opened four new locations with seven more pending.
Cultivation and Manufacturing companies are simply having a hard time finding locations that are appropriately zoned and large enough to secure investors.
To help, D.C. Council extended the 12-month conditional license period by a year, and the D.C. Department of Buildings (DOB) zoning released guidance in May that expanded where Type 1 medical manufacturer and cultivation licensees can operate, addressing the lack of real estate available. This zoning expansion did not effect Type 2 cultivators or manufacturers.
As far as the impact of the zoning change and time extensions on new businesses opening, only time will tell if it will be enough to make a difference.
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