District of Columbia

A Legal Medical Cannabis Patient:

1. Is at least 18 years of age. Patients under 18 require a parent or guardian to apply and to serve as a registered caregiver.
2. Has a qualifying health condition. ABCA no longer maintains a list of qualifying conditions. Any condition a registered health care practitioner determines warrants the use of cannabis may qualify. DC residents aged 21 and older may also self-certify their application without a practitioner recommendation.
3. Is enrolled and holds a valid DC Medical Cannabis Patient Registration.
4. Holds a valid registration. DC resident patient registrations are currently issued for 2-year periods.

ENROLLMENT INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: Determine your registration path.

DC residents aged 21 and older may choose to self-certify or obtain a recommendation from a registered health care practitioner. Patients ages 18–20 must obtain a practitioner recommendation. Minors (under 18) require a registered caregiver and a practitioner recommendation; their applications must be submitted in person, by mail, or by email to [email protected].

Step 2 (if obtaining a practitioner recommendation):

Consult with an ABCA-registered health care practitioner. The practitioner will issue a recommendation number if they determine cannabis is appropriate for your condition.

Step 3: Submit your patient application.

Adult DC residents may apply online at abca.dc.gov. Provide a government-issued photo ID and proof of DC residency if your ID does not show a DC address.

Step 4: Receive your temporary registration.

Upon submission, you will receive a temporary digital registration valid for 90 days while your application is under review. If you prefer a physical card, there is a $10 fee.  Digital and physical registrations are accepted interchangeably at licensed retailers.

Step 5: Receive your registration (valid for 2 years).

PATIENT RENEWAL

The renewal process is the same as

ENROLLING MINOR PATIENTS

Parents or legal guardians of minor patients (under 18) must submit a Minor Medical Cannabis Patient Application that includes a practitioner recommendation number and an identified registered caregiver. Applications for minor patients must be submitted in person, by mail, or by email (not online).

View minor patient application information at ABCA.

A registered caregiver may purchase and possess cannabis on behalf of a registered patient.

• Must be designated by a patient to serve as the person authorized, on the patient’s behalf, to possess, obtain from a dispensary, dispense, and assist in the administration of medical marijuana
• Be registered with the Department of Health as the patient’s caregiver
• Must not already be registered to care for another patient
• Must be at least eighteen (18) years of age
• Have never been convicted of possession or sale of a controlled substance unless such conviction occurred after the effective date of the Act (July 2010) and was related to the possession of marijuana that is authorized under the Act.

Possession Limits:

• Registered patients and caregivers may each hold up to 2 ounces of cannabis at any one time.

Dispensaries:

After your registration is approved, you may purchase medical cannabis at any ABCA-licensed medical cannabis retailer in the District.

What to Bring:

• Your valid DC Medical Cannabis Patient Registration (digital or physical)
• Government-issued photo ID
• A list of your current medications (recommended for your first visit)
• Payment for your medicine. Insurance does not cover the cost of medical cannabis

Home Cultivation:

Under the District of Columbia's Initiative 71, adults 21 and older are permitted to cultivate cannabis at their primary residence for personal use.

Plant limits

• Up to 6 plants total per residence
• No more than 3 plants may be mature (flowering) at any time

Possession limits tied to home cultivation

• Adults may possess up to 2 ounces of cannabis
• Adults may transfer up to 1 ounce to another person 21 or older at no cost — no payment, trade, or exchange of goods or services of any kind is permitted

Important limitations

• Cultivation must take place inside the residence — outdoor grows are not permitted
• Cannabis may only be used on private property
• Public consumption is prohibited
• The sale of cannabis remains illegal under D.C. law

Note for medical cannabis patients:

Registered medical cannabis patients in D.C. are subject to the same home cultivation rules as other adults. Maintaining your medical cannabis registration provides additional legal protections and access to licensed dispensaries, but does not expand home cultivation limits beyond those described above.

Need tips on home cultivation?

Cannabis Product Safety:

Cannabis, in its natural form, is inherently safe for most patients, but it is especially susceptible to contaminants during cultivation, manufacturing, handling & even storing. Whether you are purchasing cannabis from regulated, grey, or illicit markets or cultivating your own cannabis, you should be aware of the contaminants commonly found in cannabis and the symptoms that accompany their presence.

Products sold in D.C.'s dispensaries and adult-use retail locations must be tested for contaminants, pesticides, and adulterants based on these thresholds set by state regulators.  For more information about cannabis safety, download ASA's "What’s in Your Cannabis? A Patient & Consumer Guide to Navigating Cannabis Safety."

It can be challenging for patients to determine which businesses offering cannabis products are licensed and approved by the state. Review this list of medical cannabis retailers to find out where to purchase regulated cannabis in the District of Columbia.

District of Columbia law specifies exactly where registered qualifying patients may administer medical cannabis. Medical cannabis may only be administered at the following locations:

• Your own residence, if permitted by the property owner or lease agreement
• Another person's private residence, if that person has given explicit permission
• A licensed medical treatment facility, when you are receiving medical care for a qualifying condition or treatment (if the facility permits it)
• A licensed safe-use treatment facility, authorized by the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) under D.C. law
• A school where you are enrolled, if the school has a formal medication administration policy in place, cannabis must be in a non-smokable form only

Where you may NOT medicate

• Public consumption is illegal and carries a penalty of up to $500 or 60 days in jail
• Possession and use are prohibited on all federal lands, which cover approximately 29% of the District, including the National Mall, federal parks, and other federal property
• You may not operate a motor vehicle, aircraft, or motorboat while under the influence of medical cannabis
• You may not undertake any task where being under the influence would constitute negligence or professional malpractice

A note on federal property

Because Washington, D.C., contains an unusually high concentration of federal land, patients should use particular caution about where they are located when in possession of or using medical cannabis. Federal law governs all federal property regardless of D.C. local law.

DC has both a medical cannabis program and a legal adult-use cannabis market. Registered medical patients benefit from higher possession limits, access to a broader range of products, and other program-specific protections.

Federal Protections Apply Only to Registered Patients

Some federal protections are now available, but only to patients who are officially registered in their state’s medical cannabis program.

A federal order issued April 28th,2026,  AG Order No. 6754-2026, treats a state medical cannabis certification or registration as similar to a prescription under federal law.  This means that being registered is not just a state requirement; it may also affect whether a patient qualifies for federal protections.

To receive these protections, a patient’s registration must stay active, current, and in good standing. Learn more here.

Legal Protections: 

Under D.C. Official Code § 7-1671.02, a qualifying patient may purchase, possess, use, and administer medical cannabis, and purchase, possess, and use paraphernalia, in accordance with the D.C. Medical Cannabis Program rules. These protections apply only when the patient is in compliance with program limits.

• The current possession limit for registered patients is up to 8 ounces of dried medical cannabis.
• Under D.C. Official Code § 7-1671.03, a qualifying patient who is stopped by police on reasonable suspicion or probable cause of possessing cannabis may not be further detained or arrested on that basis alone, if the officer determines the individual is in compliance with D.C. medical cannabis law.

Privacy Protections:

Patient and caregiver registration information is protected under HIPAA and is not disclosed to D.C. or federal agencies. Licensed retailers track purchases by patient number only. ABCA does not notify an employer of a patient's registration status.

Civil Protections:

Employment - The Cannabis Employment Protections Amendment Act of 2022 (D.C. Law 24-190) prohibits most employers from firing, refusing to hire, or taking other adverse employment actions against an individual based on their use of cannabis, their participation in the D.C. Medical Cannabis Program or another jurisdiction's program, or their failure to pass a cannabis drug test — absent additional indicators of on-the-job impairment.

Employers are also required, under the D.C. Human Rights Act as amended by this law, to treat a qualifying patient's use of medical cannabis to address a disability in the same manner as they would treat the legal use of a controlled substance prescribed or supervised by a licensed health care professional.

Exceptions apply for:

• Positions designated by the employer as safety-sensitive, where it is reasonably foreseeable that working under the influence of cannabis could cause serious bodily injury or death to the employee or others
• Employers required by federal statute, federal regulation, federal contract, or federal funding agreement to prohibit cannabis use
• Employees who used or possessed cannabis while performing work for the employer or during work hours

Violations may be reported to the D.C. Office of Human Rights. Civil penalties range from up to $1,000 per violation for employers with 1–30 employees, up to $2,500 for employers with 31–99 employees, and up to $5,000 for employers with 100 or more employees. Employees may also pursue a private right of action for compensatory damages, lost wages, and attorneys' fees.

Tax Benefits:

Medical cannabis purchases at licensed D.C. retailers are subject to a 6% sales tax. D.C. law establishes an annual medical cannabis sales tax holiday, typically held in April around April 20, during which the 6% sales tax on medical cannabis products (excluding paraphernalia) is waived at licensed retailers for both D.C. resident and non-resident registered patients. The dates of the annual tax holiday vary by year.

D.C. accepts valid, unexpired medical cannabis patient registrations from all U.S. states and territories. You can simply present your home state's medical card or digital registration, along with a government-issued photo ID, at any D.C.-licensed dispensary. If you do not have a valid state medical registration, Non-DC residents may register in the DC Medical Cannabis Program. Valid period options for non-residents are 3, 30, 90, 180, or 365 days. Fees range from $10 to $100, depending on the selected valid period. 

Apply online through ABCA or in person at 899 North Capitol Street, NE, Suite 4200-A, Washington, DC 20002.

*UPDATE: AG ORDER NO. 6754-2026 CHANGED FEDERAL CANNABIS LAWS  ON APRIL 28, 2026: Learn more here.

Federal cannabis laws affect far more than whether a patient can access medical cannabis. For decades, federal prohibition has limited protections for medical cannabis patients under laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Fair Housing Act (FHA). As a result, patients have often been denied the basic protections that people with other serious health conditions expect in employment, housing, healthcare, and access to federal programs.

Federal prohibition has also affected patients’ access to essential healthcare, housing, and financial support programs, sometimes forcing patients to choose between the medicine they need and the benefits they depend on. It has also created barriers to federal employment, healthcare autonomy, firearm ownership, and other aspects of daily life.

As federal and state cannabis laws change, implementation matters. Advocates must stay vigilant to ensure public agencies, private institutions, employers, housing providers, and healthcare systems update their policies in ways that respect patient rights and protect safe, legal access to medical cannabis.

It is important to stay active, engaged, and informed. Sign up to get ASA updates and learn more about ending patient discrimination. 

Rights and protections for medical cannabis patients are evolving. In some cases, outdated policies may impact how patients are treated. In other cases, like those in the military, policy changes will have to come from Washington, DC. In the case of organ transplants, stigma still plays a role in medical cannabis patients having access to life-saving treatment, even if state laws ban discrimination.  Please use the resources below to better understand patient rights and how to navigate these programs and services.