Washington DC in the List of Medical Marijuana Jurisdictions

by Kamran Abdi
D.C. Council finally approved the medical marijuana law yesterday. With this vote,  Washington DC joins 14 states across the country in allowing qualified patients to use medical marijuana without fear of arrest.

The original legislation only allowed for patients to possess no more than two ounces of the drug for a 30 day period. The approved amendment will increase the possession limit to four ounces a month if there’s a medical need, according to The NYTimes.

Physicians now will be able to give medical marijuana recommendations to patients suffering from HIV/AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, and other serious conditions that can be alleviated through marijuana. Qualified patients will have safe access to their medicine through a limited number of dispensaries within the District. The cost will be subsidized for patients that cannot afford to pay.

DC Mayor Adrian Fenty is expected to sign the bill. Congress will then have 30 days to review the legislation before it becomes law.

Voters in DC approved a referendum on legalizing medical pot more than 10 years ago, but Congress prohibited the city from following through.