In Washington D.C., medical marijuana patients can possess up to two ounces of cannabis per month. The District's mayor Muriel Bowser, however, intends to double this amount.
The Democratic mayor believes the changes would better fit the needs of the city's 4,000 registered medical marijuana patients who have been diagnosed with severe ailments ranging from cancer to glaucoma or severe muscle spasms to qualify. Two ounces of pot for recreational use is also legal in the nation's capital. Residents can grow up to three mature plants at home, but some feel the District's progressive laws are too lax.
Aaron C. Davis tweeted: "[U]nless everyone m/m patient needs 200+ joints a month, seems this could increase pot available for street sales."
For comparison, in Colorado one can possess up to one ounce of recreational marijuana. Medical patients may have up to two ounces in public. In Oregon, one may hold one ounce of recreational and medical in public.
Many states have initiatives on their ballot, including recreational in Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, and North Dakota. Medical is on ballot in Arkansas, Florida. Click here to check out MERRY JANE's guide to each state voting on marijuana this November.
Voters legalized medical cannabis in D.C. in 1998, two years after the first state legalized the medicine. The first dispensary didn’t open until 2013 due to Congress blocking it. Many patients consider the law today to be too strict. Not only is medical cannabis legal in DC, but, also, the possession and personal cultivation of recreational cannabis for individuals over the age of 21 due to a 2014 initiative. Mayor Bowser has been a supporter of legal cannabis and medical cannabis.
