Medical marijuana is legally available today in the District of Columbia, but because its program has the most restrictive set of qualifying medical conditions in the country, the District serves an alarmingly low number of patients. 

The District’s Medical Marijuana Program was signed into law by then-Mayor Adrian Fenty on May 21, 2010, but as of January 31st of this year, the Department of Health (DOH) reported that there were only about 150 patients enrolled in the program. There are several contributing factors that can explain this low number, such as the lack of educational programs on cannabis for physicians (a mandated task for DOH), and a prohibitive administrative procedure for qualifying physicians. But the primary reason why so few patients in D.C. have been able to legally obtain medical marijuana is that the District has the most restrictive set of qualifying conditions in the country.

US Representative Earl Blumenhauer (D-OR) is sending a letter to President Obama asking him to follow his recent comments on cannabis and its classification under federal law with action. Will you call your US Representative today and ask him or her to support this effort by signing Representative Blumenhauer’s letter?

Click here to find contact information for your US Representative and some talking points to help with the short phone call.

President Obama told a reporter that cannabis was no more dangerous than alcohol on January 27. When asked about that comment by a CNN reporter a few days later, the President said it was up to Congress to decide which drugs belong on Schedule I – a classification reserved for dangerous drugs with no medical value. It is encouraging to hear the President taking a relatively enlightened view of the safety of cannabis and raising the question about its classification under federal law. But we need him to go further.