D.C. Cannabis License Types
DC residents, including minors, may legally be recommended, purchase, possess, and use, medical cannabis to treat a diagnosed qualified medical condition or related side effect. Non-resident patients may purchase medical cannabis from DC dispensaries if their jurisdiction has been extended reciprocity.
Medical cannabis patients, including non-residents extended reciprocity, may purchase up to eight (8) ounces of cannabis within a rolling 30-day period and possess up to two (2) ounces at any time. Allowed formats include flowers, concentrates, edibles, transdermal products, seeds, and seedlings.
To Apply or Renew
DC residents must submit a complete Medical Cannabis Patient Application (adult or minor version). Applications may be submitted online (recommended), by mail, or in-person every Thursday through April 28, 2022 between 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
To start your online application, select the healthcare practitioner who referred you to the Medical Cannabis Program.
A caregiver is a person designated by a qualifying medical cannabis patient as the person authorized to possess, obtain from a dispensary, dispense, and assist in the administration of medical cannabis.
To qualify, an individual must be:
- 18 years of age or older
- Registered as the qualifying patient’s caregiver
- Serve only one (1) qualifying patient at a time
Individuals who administer medical cannabis at a dispensary or cultivation center are not eligible.
To Apply or Renew
Individuals must submit a Medical Cannabis Caregiver Application with all required documentation and payment. Applications may be uploaded to Dropbox or mailed. Currently, an online application is not available for this application type.
A criminal background check is required.
Valid Period and Fees
Caregiver cards are valid for one (1) year from date of issuance. An annual fee applies.
Patients and Caregivers
Type |
Standard Fee |
Reduced Fee* |
Valid Period |
Application Period |
New Registration |
$100 |
$25 |
One (1) year from date of issuance. |
Ongoing basis |
Renewal Registration |
$100 |
$25 |
One (1) year from date of issuance. |
Ongoing basis |
Replacement Card |
$90 |
$20 |
One (1) year from date of issuance. |
Ongoing basis |
Dispensaries centers may dispense medical cannabis to qualified patients in any form deemed safe which allows patients to eat, inhale, or otherwise use medical cannabis for medical purposes. Medical cannabis shall be subject to testing for quality assurance and safety purposes.
Dispensaries may not be:
- Located within 300 feet of a preschool, primary or secondary school or recreation center
- Co-located with any other type of business
- Located in a residential district
Applicants must meet general qualification requirements including good character, being at least 21 years of age and cannot have been convicted of a felony for a crime of violence, gun offense, tax evasion, fraud, or credit card fraud within the three (3) years preceding the date the application is filed with the Board.
Licensed physicians that make patient recommendations are not eligible.
A dispensary owner may only register for one (1) dispensary.
Cultivation Centers are centers that are licensed to cultivate cannabis in the District. Their primary role will be the cultivation of cannabis products. These centers are allowed to package and process the cannabis plant and prepare it for sale.
Cultivation Centers may not be:
- Located within 300 feet of a preschool, primary or secondary school or recreation center
- Co-located with any other type of business
- Located in a residential district
- Located within a Retail Priority Area
Applicants must meet general qualification requirements including good character, being at least 21 years of age and cannot have been convicted of a felony for a crime of violence, gun offense, tax evasion, fraud, or credit card fraud within the three (3) years preceding the date the application is filed with the Board.
Licensed physicians that make patient recommendations are not eligible.
A cultivation center owner may register for more than one (1) cultivation center.
A cultivation center shall obtain from the Department a transport permit to transport within the District of Columbia medical marijuana to registered dispensaries. An original transport permit shall be required for each vehicle being designated by the cultivation center or its contracted agent to be authorized to deliver medical marijuana to registered dispensaries.
The Transport Permit Application is for registering the cultivation center vehicles which will be transporting medical marijuana to dispensaries, NOT the drivers of the vehicle. Drivers must be registered as employees.
If a cultivation center chooses to contract with a delivery service, the delivery service must register as a contracted agent and the drivers for the delivery service must register as employees.
Testing Laboratories are independent, registered facilities approved by ABRA that are licensed to test harvested medical cannabis samples and provide cultivation centers with the concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) in the testing material, whether the tested material is organic or non-organic; the presence and concentration of fertilizers and other nutrients; and any other information that ABRA may require through rule-making.
Testing Laboratories will develop educational materials about potential harmful drug interactions that could occur from using medical cannabis concurrently with other medical treatments and the importance of informing health care providers and pharmacists of the use of medical cannabis to help avoid harmful drug interactions.
Testing Laboratories may not be:
- Located within 300 feet of a preschool, primary or secondary school or recreation center
- Co-located with any other type of business
- Located in a residential district
Applicants must meet general qualification requirements including good character, being at least 21 years of age and cannot have been convicted of a felony for a crime of violence, gun offense, tax evasion, fraud, or credit card fraud within the 3 years preceding the date the application is filed with the Board.
Licensed physicians that make patient recommendations are not eligible.
A testing laboratory owner may only register for one (1) testing laboratory.