It’s quite strange that the District of Columbia houses the very government that maintains Marijuana prohibition, but at the same time have a DC Medical Marijuana program where qualified patients can obtain Marijuana as a medicine without facing any legal repercussions. It was only in May of 2012 that DC adopted a Medical Marijuana Program and as of now only have 4 dispensaries within the District.
The DC Medical Marijuana program has had its hitches along the way with slow marijuana card licensing, distribution and pretty much setting up the infrastructure. The process of implementing a new system takes time and most patients accepted the delay. As of now patients cannot register at the health department as of yet, but soon will be able to and will be directed to a registered physician. The physician will administer a physical examination, check over your medical history and in if you qualify will write you a recommendation. Sub sequentially you will have to pay an annual fee and wait for the Department of Health to issue the license. Once you have obtained the Medical Marijuana license you will have access to the four dispensaries located within the District of Columbia. It might still take several more months before this system is operational.
Patients that have previous criminal records, especially drug related charges, are not eligible for the DC Medical Marijuana program. Also if you are to break any of the legal requirements of the Medical Marijuana system you could be liable for criminal processing and a restricted from enrolling in the program in the future.
Unlike other states, DC doesn’t allow the patient to grow his or her own medicine. This responsibility lies solely on dispensaries and caregivers. A caregiver must also obtain a license to grow and will be instructed on how many plants he/she may grow. A patient is allowed up to two ounces of consumable marijuana without facing any criminal repercussions.
The DC Medical Marijuana program is still very young, even though the bill was passed nearly two years ago. Nonetheless we can see that the initiative behind the legalization of Medicinal Cannabis is even ringing in the District and is beginning to provide a safe access for patients in need of Cannabis. It still has a while to go before working out all the “bugs” within the program, but at least patients residing in the District of Columbia will soon be able to take advantage of the benefits of the program.
As more states continue to adopt this system the taboo behind cannabis is being lifted. People are realizing that Marijuana is not as “evil” as prohibitionists claim. In fact studies show the exact opposite; Marijuana provides benefit to people. As these positive trends continue we can expect to see new divisions within the world of cannabis; Medical Cannabis, Commercial Cannabis and Industrial Hemp. These would be the main three subdivisions within a fully legal Marijuana system. Medical Marijuana would always have a place due to the high standards in cultivation, harvesting, curing and maintaining consistency in regards to potency.
The DC Medical Marijuana program has had its hitches along the way with slow marijuana card licensing, distribution and pretty much setting up the infrastructure. The process of implementing a new system takes time and most patients accepted the delay. As of now patients cannot register at the health department as of yet, but soon will be able to and will be directed to a registered physician. The physician will administer a physical examination, check over your medical history and in if you qualify will write you a recommendation. Sub sequentially you will have to pay an annual fee and wait for the Department of Health to issue the license. Once you have obtained the Medical Marijuana license you will have access to the four dispensaries located within the District of Columbia. It might still take several more months before this system is operational.
Patients that have previous criminal records, especially drug related charges, are not eligible for the DC Medical Marijuana program. Also if you are to break any of the legal requirements of the Medical Marijuana system you could be liable for criminal processing and a restricted from enrolling in the program in the future.
Unlike other states, DC doesn’t allow the patient to grow his or her own medicine. This responsibility lies solely on dispensaries and caregivers. A caregiver must also obtain a license to grow and will be instructed on how many plants he/she may grow. A patient is allowed up to two ounces of consumable marijuana without facing any criminal repercussions.
The DC Medical Marijuana program is still very young, even though the bill was passed nearly two years ago. Nonetheless we can see that the initiative behind the legalization of Medicinal Cannabis is even ringing in the District and is beginning to provide a safe access for patients in need of Cannabis. It still has a while to go before working out all the “bugs” within the program, but at least patients residing in the District of Columbia will soon be able to take advantage of the benefits of the program.
As more states continue to adopt this system the taboo behind cannabis is being lifted. People are realizing that Marijuana is not as “evil” as prohibitionists claim. In fact studies show the exact opposite; Marijuana provides benefit to people. As these positive trends continue we can expect to see new divisions within the world of cannabis; Medical Cannabis, Commercial Cannabis and Industrial Hemp. These would be the main three subdivisions within a fully legal Marijuana system. Medical Marijuana would always have a place due to the high standards in cultivation, harvesting, curing and maintaining consistency in regards to potency.
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