Program overview
District of Columbia operates District of Columbia Medical Marijuana Program, administered by DC Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration.
How District of Columbia’s law developed
Initiative 59 approved by voters 1998 but blocked by Congress until 2009. Program launched 2010. Initiative 71 legalized recreational possession 2014 but commercial sales blocked by congressional budget riders.
Official resource
DC Medical Cannabis
Start with your state's own official program information.
Visit official resourceOfficial District of Columbia resources
Questions people in District of Columbia ask
- Is marijuana legal in Washington, D.C.?
- Yes. D.C. voters passed Initiative 71 in November 2014, legalizing recreational possession and home cultivation for adults 21 and older. However, due to a congressional spending rider (the Harris rider), the D.C. Council cannot regulate or tax commercial recreational sales. Medical marijuana has been legal since 2010.
- Can you buy recreational marijuana in D.C.?
- There are no licensed recreational dispensaries due to the congressional spending ban on D.C. regulating recreational sales. Adults may possess up to two ounces and grow up to six plants at home (three mature). A gray market of "gifting" services has emerged but operates in a legal gray area.
