On Nov. 1, the D.C. Council unanimously passed the Medical Marijuana Omnibus Amendment Act of 2016, which includes several significant changes to D.C.’s medical marijuana law. If signed by the Mayor, the new law must undergo a Congressional review period before taking effect. Some provisions will also require additional time to develop new administrative procedures.
The new law includes the following measures:
- Establishes independent laboratory testing for medical marijuana products produced in the District
- Permits approved patients to shop at any D.C. dispensary
- Permits approved patients from other medical marijuana states to visit D.C. dispensaries
- Allows naturopathic physicians, advanced practice registered nurses, physician’s assistants, and dentists to approve patients for the medical marijuana program
- Reduces employment restrictions based on criminal history for individuals working in dispensaries and cultivation centers
Although the law itself could take effect as early as February 2017, patients should be advised that some key provisions will take additional months to be enacted. The measures permitting patients to visit any dispensary and allowing purchases by out-of-state patients will require the establishment of a new sales tracking system by the Department of Health. The timeline for completing this process is currently unknown, so we are not expecting these measures to be implemented until the later part of 2017 at the earliest.
We appreciate the D.C. Council’s continuing to efforts to improve and expand the medical marijuana program. We look forward to working with patients, regulators, medical professionals and other stakeholders to ensure that D.C.’s medical marijuana program meets patient needs and sets a strong example of best practices in the field. The future of medical marijuana in D.C. is certainly going to be exciting and we’re grateful for your continued support along the way.