Mayor Signs Bill Making Extensive Changes to D.C.’s Medical Marijuana Program

On January 25, 2023, the mayor of Washington, D.C. signed The Medical Cannabis Amendment Act, making fundamental changes to D.C.’s medical marijuana program. As set forth in the January 3 post D.C. Council Passes Bill Making Extensive Changes to the Medical Marijuana Program, the new bill eliminates cannabis business licensing caps, provides tax relief to operators, further promotes social equity and creates new regulated business categories such as on-site consumption facilities and cannabis cooking classes. The bill also provides for current “gifting” operators that sell non-cannabis items in exchange for “free” marijuana products to enter the licensed market. Finally, the Medical Cannabis Amendment Act further codifies that adults can self-certify as medical marijuana patients. The reform also allows dispensaries to apply for cultivation licenses. This reform is almost certainly a work-around for the controversial 2023 federal rider blocking the District from legalizing recreational adult-use cannabis commerce (despite the House and Senate having excluded it in their earlier versions).