D.C. Mayor Bowser Approves Changes To Medical Marijuana Program: Licenses, Tax Relief, Self-Certification

Mayor Muriel Bowser signed a medical marijuana-related bill on Monday expanding medical cannabis access.

Legislation B24-0013: The Medical Cannabis Amendment Act proposes significant changes to the medical marijuana program in the District. First of all, some provisions increase the number of licensed dispensaries allowed to operate in the District and provide tax relief to operators. The legislation also proposes that individuals “self-certify” for medical marijuana to be codified into law, writes NORML.

Furthermore, the legislation, which still awaits Congressional review before taking effect, proposes the creation of new marijuana business categories, like on-site tasting/consumption lounges.

Recent Cannabis Developments In The District

The news comes on the heels of Phil Mendelson (D), chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia, introducing a bill that would legalize and regulate the sales of recreational cannabis in the District. What makes this piece of legislation unique is the proposal to create a new reparations fund that would allow for payments of up to $80,000 to those who were previously arrested, convicted, or spent time imprisoned for cannabis-related offenses.

“We’ve improved [the bill],” Mendelson said last week. “I think the document should be out there for the public to look at. We want to be ready if and when the [ban] is lifted.”

The idea to establish this fund and offer payments to those who were negatively affected by the War on Drugs is an attempt to repair the damage caused by prohibition laws. Hence the fund will be called 'Reparations for Victims of the War on Cannabis Fund' and would use as much as 40% of all tax revenue from adult-use cannabis sales in the coming 10 years. From those funds, it would offer payments of between $5,000 and $80,000 to those who were arrested, or charged for marijuana-related offenses, before possession, personal use and home cultivation were legalized (2015).

According to the bill (B25-0052), direct cash payments will be determined by several factors such as 1) whether an individual was arrested, convicted, or incarcerated for a cannabis-related offense 2) their age at the time of arrest, conviction, or going to jail, 3) the time the individual was behind bars and 4) if the individual was supporting a partner or a child.

The new bill would legalize, regulate and tax the sale of adult-use cannabis at dispensaries. It would establish Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Board and the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration, the Cannabis Regulation Division, the Cannabis Advisory Committee. The Board would have the authority to issue cannabis licenses for 3 years, and the sales would be allowed only by those with a proper license.

Furthermore, DC officials transferred The Second Chance Amendment Act of 2021 ( B24-0063) to Congress without the Mayor’s signature. The legislation proposes the automatic review and expungement of any convictions specific to cannabis-related offenses that have been decriminalized or legalized in the meantime. Under the bill, all marijuana-related expungements must be processed by the courts by Jan. 1, 2025. The legislation requires a 30-day Congressional review before it becomes law.

Photo: Benzinga Edit with images by Kindel Media and 12019 on Pixabay