Washington, D.C. Mayor Signs Medical Pot Bill

The recently passed bill Medical Cannabis Amendment Act of 2022 (B24-0113) was sponsored in February 2021 by Washington DC Council President Phil Mendelson. The Washington, DC Council passed unanimously on December 20, 2022, followed by Bowser. Bill signed on January 30just two days before the February 1 response deadline.

of Specification Expand medical cannabis programs in the capital in a number of ways. This includes raising pharmacy limits, creating new license types, and codifying emergency measures passed in 2021 and 2022.

Originally, the amendment proposed raising the pharmacy limit, but was later amended to no longer include the maximum number (although the Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis Commission approved the January 2024 bill authorized to set a cap one year after passage).

Also allow to create There are more cannabis license types, including cannabis delivery services, online sales, educational programs, and areas dedicated to cannabis consumption. “At least half” of all licenses granted to currently unlicensed businesses are social equity applicants (low-income D.C. residents, those in prison for cannabis-related offenses, or (defined as a person who has been imprisoned for a cannabis-related offense). affected by the war on drugs).

Medical cannabis was legalized in Washington, DC in 2010, and voters passed an attempt to legalize adult-use cannabis through Initiative 71 in 2014. Possession and home cultivation of up to 2 ounces of cannabis is permitted, but adults are also permitted to gift it. Giving up to an ounce of weed to another adult provided a gifting loophole (or a way to get around cannabis sales restrictions by selling merchandise and apparel for free with cannabis gifting). The 2022 Medical Cannabis Amendment Act seeks to target these unlicensed companies and provide avenues for obtaining legal licenses.

The law also codifies emergency measures implemented against cannabis. This includes emergency measures passed in November 2021 to support Washington, D.C. patients with expired cards and help struggling clinics.

Overall, enforcement actions related to these changes will not be implemented until 315 days after the bill’s signature. It also requires congressional review before it can officially take effect.

Also recently in Washington, DC, the Mendelson the Second Chance Amendment Act of 2021 (B24-0063) is under congressional review. This not only enforces automatic expungement through “auto-seal if not dangerous and not convicted,” but also shortens the waiting period for individuals to be eligible to have their records sealed. It also expands the qualifications of those who can seal records. All cancellations must be processed by January 1, 2025. If Congress does not move against the bill, the bill’s target date is set for March 16, 2023.

Mendelsohn recently introduced another bill (B25-0052) aims to legalize the sale of adult-use cannabis. The proposal says “Compensation Fund for Victims of the Cannabis WarOffer anywhere between $5,000 and $80,000 to pay those adversely affected by the criminalization of cannabis. Also included is the Cannabis Equity and Opportunity Fund, which collects 40% of the proceeds and uses it to provide loans or grants to applicants affected by criminalization. Additionally, the bill details plans to reinvest cannabis tax revenues into community services such as mental health treatment and youth development.