Medical Marijuana Dispensaries to be Announced June 25

The DC Department of Health says it will announce the city’s
medical marijuana dispensaries on Monday, June 25. In late May,
DOH
announced

the names of the cultivation centers that will grow the
marijuana—all of which are in Northeast. The dispensaries are expected
to be spread around the city, but still number only five.

In April,
Dr. Mohammed Akhter, who as head of DOH is implementing the city’s medical marijuana program, said he hoped to get the dispensaries announced
by the middle of June and open for business in August. The review process was to have been completed last month.

Akhter said there are many applicants for the coveted
dispensary licenses. His office released a list of the highest-scoring
applicants—in other words, the “provisional” leaders of the
pack. Out of 17 bidders, there were four that made the list: Herbal
Alternatives at 1147 20th Street, Northwest; Metropolitan
Wellness Center Corporation at 409 Eighth Street, Southeast; Takoma
Wellness Center at 6925 Blair Road, Northwest; and
VentureForth, LLC DBACenter City Care.

Read our interview with Akhter from April.

Carol Ross Joynt