Cannabis
in District of Columbia

Under D.C. Code § 48-904.01, adults 21 and older may possess up to two ounces of marijuana for personal use and may give up to one ounce to another adult as long as no payment is involved. The Metropolitan Police Department's marijuana guidance adds that possessing more than two ounces is still a criminal violation and that selling any amount remains illegal. The same section of the D.C. Code allows marijuana grown at home to be kept inside the residence, but it may not be sold. Registered medical cannabis patients have a separate limit based on purchases rather than possession: the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration's medical patient page states that they may buy up to eight ounces within a rolling 30-day period. Note: I left out the specific penalty for possessing more than two ounces (up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine). Only NORML and a law firm page state it, and none of the official sources confirm it. I also left out the claim that concentrates such as hash oil fall under the adult limit, because only a non-official source supports it. The official sources do not say whether the eight-ounce medical figure also caps how much a patient may possess at one time, so I described it only as a purchase limit.

In the District of Columbia, the adult-use rules apply only to people 21 and older. Under D.C. Code 48-904.01, adults of that age may possess up to two ounces of marijuana for personal use and may give up to one ounce to another adult as long as no payment is involved. The Metropolitan Police Department's marijuana guidance says these rules have been in effect since February 26, 2015. The same age threshold applies to out-of-state medical patients: the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis

Under D.C. Code 48-904.01, adults 21 and older may grow up to six cannabis plants in their primary residence, and no more than three of those plants may be mature and flowering at the same time. The same section caps a household with several adult residents at 12 plants in total, with no more than six mature. The Metropolitan Police Department's marijuana guidance confirms the six-plant, three-mature limit for residents. D.C. Code 48-904.01 also allows adults to keep what they harvest inside the residence but prohibits selling it, and the police department's guidance states that selling any amount of marijuana remains illegal. Notes for the editor: The age of 21 comes from D.C. Code 48-904.01, but the research summary ties that age explicitly only to possession and transfer, not to cultivation. The Metropolitan Police Department page says "residents" for home grow. NORML and the ACLU of DC both state that growers must be 21, which supports the figure, but you may want to confirm the age language in the statute's cultivation clause directly. I left out the claim that plants must be hidden from public view and kept at least 1,000 feet from schools, daycares, playgrounds, libraries, and public housing. It appears only in the Distru blog, and no official source in the research supports it. The directory lists DC as both medical and recreational, but none of

In the District of Columbia, the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) oversees the medical cannabis program. Under D.C. Code § 7-1671.05, qualifying patients and their caregivers must register with ABCA. The same section requires cultivation centers, manufacturers, retailers, internet retailers, couriers, and testing laboratories to hold ABCA licenses. ABCA's Medical Cannabis Patients page on abca.dc.gov confirms that the agency issues medical cannabis registrations to D.C. residents and non-residents. Notes: The DC government bulletin (content.govdelivery.com) says applications go to "ABRA," while every other source, including the D.C. Code, names ABCA. The sources don't explain the difference or give a date for any change of name, so I left ABRA out. None of the official sources names an agency responsible for adult-use (Initiative 71) matters such as possession, gifting, or home grow. The MPD page covers those rules but doesn't describe MPD as a regulator. I didn't assign that role to anyone. MPP says on-site consumption facilities are now a regulated business category, but that isn't an official source, and D.C. Code § 7-1671.05 as summarized doesn't list them among ABCA licensees. I omitted it.

Because District law lets adults 21 and older give away up to one ounce of marijuana but not sell it (D.C. Code 48-904.01), and the Metropolitan Police Department's marijuana guidance confirms that selling any amount remains illegal, DC has no licensed adult-use retail market and no recreational cannabis sales tax. Legal purchases instead go through the medical program. Under D.C. Code 7-1671.05, the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration licenses the retailers in that program. The Marijuana Policy Project's District of Columbia overview

District of Columbia law is strict about where cannabis may be used. The Metropolitan Police Department's guidance at https://mpdc.dc.gov/marijuana states that marijuana use is prohibited in all public spaces, including streets, parks, and vehicles. The ACLU of the District of Columbia's know-your-rights summary at https://www.acludc.org/know-your-rights/marijuana-laws-district-columbia/ explains that consuming marijuana on private property is not a criminal offense, while use in commercial venues such as restaurants and bars remains illegal. Before consuming anywhere other than a private residence, visitors and patients should confirm current rules with the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration, which https://abca.dc.gov/page/medical-cannabis-patients identifies as the District's cannabis regulator. Notes for the editor: The sources disagree on licensed consumption venues, so I left them out. The Marijuana Policy Project (mpp.org) says on-site consumption facilities are now a regulated business category, and Takoma Wellness says consumption is allowed in licensed lounges. The ACLU page says use in commercial venues is illegal. None of the official .gov sources provided confirm or deny a

In the District of Columbia, medical cannabis registrations are issued by the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA), and D.C. Code 7-1671.05 requires both qualifying patients and caregivers to register with the agency. ABCA's medical cannabis patients page explains that D.C. residents receive a temporary digital registration, good for 90 days, as soon as they submit an application. Once staff finish reviewing it, residents receive a digital registration valid for two years, which matches the two-year expiration for patient and caregiver cards set in D.C. Code 7-1671.05. People who live outside the District can also register with ABCA, according to the same patients page. The statute allows temporary non-resident cards to last anywhere from 3 days to 1 year. ABCA's reciprocity page adds that visitors 21 and older from recognized states and territories can shop with their home-state registration and a valid ID, or they can apply online at myabca.dc.gov for a temporary digital registration that works immediately. Note for editor: Several non-official sources say D.C. residents 21 and older can self-certify without a practitioner's recommendation. These include a D.C. GovDelivery bulletin (not on a .gov domain and naming the older agency ABRA), MPP, and dispensary pages. None of the official .gov sources provided

District of Columbia residents seeking a medical cannabis registration do not need a diagnosed qualifying condition if they are 21 or older. A District government bulletin (content.govdelivery.com/accounts/DCWASH/bulletins/31f47fe) states that such adults may self-certify as patients without a healthcare provider's recommendation, provided they agree to buy cannabis only from DC licensed dispensaries. The Marijuana Policy Project (mpp.org/states/district-of-columbia) likewise reports that no doctor's recommendation or specific condition is required. Younger applicants face a different path. Green Theory (greentheorydc.com/get-your-medical-card) and Metroleaf (metroleafdc.com/how-to-get-a-medical-cannabis-patient-registration-in-washington-d-c) both say residents under 21 must obtain a healthcare practitioner's recommendation. Metroleaf adds that a parent or guardian must apply on behalf of anyone 17 or younger. Registrations are issued by the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration, according to abca.dc.gov/page/medical-cannabis-patients. Notes for the editor: 1. The self-certification rule is not confirmed by a .gov source in this set. It rests on the GovDelivery bulletin, which appears to be a District government release but is not on a .gov domain and is not marked official. That bulletin names ABRA, the agency's former name, and dates from around 2022. Please confirm the rule is current

Anyone seeking a medical cannabis registration in the District applies through the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration, because D.C. Code § 7-1671.05 requires qualifying patients and caregivers to register with ABCA. According to ABCA's medical cannabis patients page, District residents rece

Medical cannabis registrations in the District are not permanent, so patients should plan to renew. Under D.C. Code 7-1671.05, registration identification cards for qualifying patients and caregivers expire every two years, and registration runs through the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA). ABCA's medical cannabis patients page says that DC residents get a temporary digital registration valid for 90 days when they apply, and that after staff review they receive a digital registration valid for two years. Visitors are on a different timeline. D.C. Code 7-1671.05 provides that non-resident qualifying patients may obtain temporary registration cards lasting anywhere from 3 days to 1 year, so out-of-state patients should check their card's end date before each trip. Because the official sources do not describe a separate renewal procedure, patients approaching expiration should confirm current steps directly with ABCA. Note for the editor: The official sources establish the two-year expiration and the temporary and permanent validity periods, but none of them describes how to renew. They do not cover whether renewal is a new application, how early one can renew, whether there is a grace period, or whether a fee applies, so I left all of that out. Some non-official sources conflict with the official ones or go beyond them, and I excluded those points. Metro Leaf says temporary cards last 30 days, while ABCA says 90, and Green Theory says "up to 90 days." Metro Leaf also says older registrations had six-year validity and that the two-year term applies to registrations issued from March 2, 2025. No official source here confirms either date or term. Green Theory's claim of a $10 physical card fee is also unconfirmed by an official source. The govdelivery bulletin refers to the agency as ABRA, its former name, and describes registrations issued through September 30, 2022. That appears to be historical and may not reflect current rules.

The sources don't establish any District of Columbia rules on telemedicine, so this paragraph covers the remote registration process instead. According to the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration's medical cannabis patients page (abca.dc.gov), ABCA is the agency that issues medical cannabis registrations in the District, and D.C. Code section 7-1671.05 requires qualifying patients and caregivers to register with it. ABCA's patient page says residents receive a temporary digital registration, valid for 90 days, as soon as they submit an application. After staff review, they receive a digital registration valid for two years, which matches the two-year expiration for patient and caregiver cards in D.C. Code section 7-1671.05. A District government bulletin announcing self-certification (content.govdelivery.com, DCWASH account) says residents 21 and older can self-certify as medical cannabis patients without a healthcare provider's recommendation, as long as they agree to buy only from D.C.-licensed dispensaries. For those adults, a practitioner consultation of any kind, in person or remote, is not part of registering. Notes: 1. None of the sources address telem

Visitors enrolled in a medical cannabis program elsewhere can shop at District dispensaries. According to the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration's medical cannabis reciprocity page, eligible patients from recognized U.S. states and territories may buy medical cannabis in DC by showing their home registration along with valid identification, provided they are at least 21. That same ABCA page notes that Virginia patients must bring a written certification from an authorized healthcare practitioner plus government-issued ID. Visitors can also apply for a temporary DC patient registration online through the myabca.dc.gov portal, and ABCA states that these digital registrations can be used as soon as they arrive. Under D.C. Code section 7-1671.05, temporary registrations for non-resident qualifying patients can be valid for as little as 3 days or as long as 1 year. Note for the editor: I left out the claim on ABCA's medical cannabis patients page that DC registrations are accepted by most U.S. states, territories, and some tribal nations. That claim concerns DC patients traveling elsewhere, not visitors coming to DC. It also depends on each other jurisdiction's own rules, which none of the sources confirm individually. The sources also do not list which states and territories count as "recognized," so I did not name any beyond Virginia. None of the sources address whether visitors without a medical registration can buy anything, so I did not cover that either.