DC Names Six Groups as Eligible to Grow Medical Marijuana

The DC government today notified six groups that they are eligible to register for a license to operate medical marijuana cultivation centers. All six are in Northeast. They were chosen by what the Department of Health called an expert panel, with additional input from Advisory Neighborhood Commission members. The cultivation centers will grow marijuana that will then be made available to distribution centers. The distribution licensees have yet to be named.

The next step is for cultivation applicants to apply for business licenses, building permits, and certificates of occupancy, and to meet other requirements. The cultivation and distribution of medical marijuana for the use of needy patients was approved by the City Council last year. The distribution centers are expected to open by the end of this year.

The law allows for patients who suffer from HIV, glaucoma, cancer, or other chronic illnesses and who receive a doctor’s prescription to possess no more than two ounces of marijuana a month. In addition to the District, medical marijuana is legal in 16 states. The only other locale in the mid-Atlantic is Delaware.

The six centers notified of their eligibility are Albatin Wellness Center 1, Montana Apothecary dba Alternative Solutions, District Growers (1), Holistic Remedies (1), Phyto Management LLC, and Venture Forth dba Center City.

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Carol Ross Joynt