Washington D.C. Mayor Signs Bill Allowing Medical Marijuana Patients To Self-Certify, Bypassing Doctors & Cannabis Sales Ban – Benzinga

Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser signed into legislation the Medical Marijuana Self-Certification Emergency Modification Act of 2022 on Wednesday. 

Her signature got here a few week after the total Washington, D.C. Council unanimously superior the measure sponsored by Councilmembers Kenyan McDuffie (D) and Mary Cheh (D). Below this legislation, Washington D.C. residents are allowed to self-certify as medical marijuana sufferers, and not using a physician’s advice and purchase hashish from licensed retailers.

Although adult-use hashish was legalized in Washington D.C. in 2014, a rider that has remained legitimate all through a number of presidential funds proposals has prevented the District from absolutely exercising its authorized hashish program.

This laws allows the District to bypass the rider that has prevented D.C. from utilizing its native taxes to implement a system of authorized hashish commerce.

“Now we have made it a precedence through the years to construct a extra patient-centric medical marijuana program and this laws builds on these efforts. We all know that by bringing extra medical marijuana sufferers into the authorized market in a well timed method and doing extra to stage the enjoying subject for licensed medical marijuana suppliers, we are able to defend residents, help native companies, and supply readability to the neighborhood,” Mayor Bowser acknowledged upon signing the brand new invoice. “I applaud the Council for shifting ahead this revolutionary resolution to a fancy situation, and I look ahead to working with the Council and ABRA on everlasting, extra complete medical marijuana laws sooner or later.”

Benzinga photograph. Source: Picture from Shutterstock