BUD AND BREAKFAST’S MARIJUANA JURISDICTION REGULATION STATE-BY-STATE OVERVIEW: D.C.

Quick Facts:

Is medicinal cannabis legal? Yes

Is recreational marijuana legal? Yes

Cannabis legalization in DC is complicated. Especially since it is different from that of Washington. After months of review and public comments on January 10, 2014, the DC Cannabis Campaign submitted a ballot initiative to the DC Board of Elections and Ethics. The DC Cannabis Campaign submitted 57,000 signatures to the DC Board of Election on the July 2014 hearing, and a month later had enough signatures to quality the ballot. This allows for the home grow and home use of recreational marijuana but it does not allow for the sale of cannabis by any person.

According to the Marijuana Policy Project, there is cause for celebration of initiative 71 and the support that it has received, but there is still a great deal of work to be done. The regulation and move to treat marijuana as alcohol is still an ongoing fight.

Initiative 71 became law on February 26, 2015 so residents are allowed to now possess two ounces or less of cannabis and grow up to six plants. They are allowed to give cannabis to another person, but not to sell it. It is still illegal to use cannabis in public in the District of Columbia.