Eligible DC Residents Can Now Purchase Medical Cannabis Immediately Upon Applying Online or at a Legal Dispensary

Eligible DC Residents Can Now Purchase Medical Cannabis Immediately Upon Applying Online for a Medical Cannabis Patient Registration

Effective August 5, 2022, eligible DC residents may now immediately purchase medical cannabis from licensed dispensaries using the temporary patient registration approval sent to applicants upon submission of an online patient application. Temporary registrations are valid for 30-days and may be used while an applicant’s application is under review.

DC residents whose applications are approved will be sent a permanent digital and physical registration prior to the expiration of their temporary registration. The registration number included in both the temporary and permanent registrations will be identical.

Applicants who are unresponsive to requests for missing information, or who are determined to be ineligible, will have their temporary registration deactivated.

Patient and caregiver registrations remain free through December 8, 2022. Applicants who apply by September 30 will be issued a two-year registration if approved.

ABRA implemented this change to ensure that patients are able to obtain cannabis for medical use as quickly as possible. “We are excited to offer this new online temporary approval option for the District’s eligible medical cannabis patients that will allow them to gain immediate access to their medicine,” said ABRA Director Fred Moosally.

Non-DC residents are ineligible to register in DC’s medical cannabis program but may continue to purchase cannabis from a DC-licensed dispensary if they are a patient in one of the 38 states or territories medical cannabis programs extend reciprocity. The Medical Marijuana Self-Certification Emergency Amendment Act of 2022 signed into law by Mayor Muriel Bowser on July 6, 2022, authorized temporary registrations and self-certification by DC residents at least 21 years of age and older.

Applications and details are available at abra.dc.gov/page/medical-cannabis-patients.

• ABRA is now offering walk-in registration Monday-Friday between 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Applicants with complete applications will receive their digital and physical registration at no-cost during their visit. Applicants are encouraged to submit their application online in advance to expedite the processing.
• Walk-in registration takes place at ABRA’s Medical Cannabis Program Office in the Reeves Center located at 2000 14th Street NW, Suite 102A (First Floor), Washington, DC 20009. The closest Metro Station is U Street/African-American Civil War Memorial/Cardozo (Green Line). Several bus lines also service the area.
• Recommendations are accepted for up two (2) years from the date of issuance—an increase from 90-days.
• Recommendations from healthcare practitioners will still be accepted, including telehealth recommendations.