Smoking a joint is not a crime in Washington DC, but before you light one up, it’s always smart to look into the marijuana laws in DC. You hit up your friend and ask “is marijuana legal in DC?”.
‘Technically’, the use of marijuana for both medical and recreational purposes is legal in Washington DC. The real problem lies in getting the weed and making sure you do not break any Washington DC marijuana laws. We get it, so here we will give you the full lowdown on how you can get weed in Washington DC. (in case your friend is not answering the phone, let us answer that question for you)
Is Marijuana Legal in Washington DC?
Yes, it is, but hold on a minute; let’s explain all the wordplay going on around that subject. In 1998, Washington, DC, passed an Act that allowed the use of marijuana for medical purposes. In the year 2014, the city also passed Initiative 71, which gave some ground rules but generally allowed adults over the age of 21 to use marijuana for recreational purposes. So yeah, you can get weed in Washington DC.
But what is the catch, you say?
Well, Initiative 71 lets you do everything except besides actually buying weed in DC. So if you are over the age of 21 years old and you live in Washington DC, you can grow weed at home, you can carry less than two ounces of the stuff around with you, and you can even give up to one ounce away to a friend (you know, the one who actually answers the phone), but no you can’t buy the stuff.
Now you are thinking, so how am I supposed to get weed in DC in the first place?
There is a way for you to get FREE recreational weed gifts in DC, in fact, but before we get to that, let’s take a quick look at those city laws you don’t want to be caught breaking.
Photo by Ramille Soares on Unsplash
Washington DC Marijuana Laws
You know how we said marijuana is legal in Washington DC, but it can’t be sold? This is what we were talking about.
In Washington, DC, the sale of marijuana is only permitted for medical purposes. That means if your physician thinks that a little weed can help you with your health, then you can get a medical marijuana card and buy weed at a Washington dc dispensary. Pretty neat, right?
Except that there are only about six dispensaries in the whole city serving thousands of patients, and you are not allowed to buy more than 2 ounces per month. Don’t forget you will need a medical card, which won’t happen unless you apply for one with a physician’s recommendation.
Sounds pretty complicated. So what are you supposed to do if you enjoy lighting one up every now and then?
You are in luck because there’s are a whole different set of rules we are about to tell you about that will allow you to get recreational marijuana in Washington DC.
Medical Marijuana vs. Recreational Marijuana
With the passing of Initiative 71 in 2014, the use of recreational marijuana became legalized in Washington, DC. This means that as an adult resident of the city, you can smoke weed just because you want to. However, smoking weed is prohibited in public spaces and on federal property (like half of the city). So we would advise you to restrict your activities to your own house to avoid getting tangled in any federal red tape.
But Initiative 71 doesn’t let you buy weed. So how can you get weed in Washington DC?
Where to Buy Marijuana in DC?
If you have a medical card, then you can easily walk into one of the medical marijuana DC dispensaries around the city and purchase your recommended dose of marijuana. You can also use an out-of-state medical card, as long as your home state also has a medical marijuana program.
There are only six medical marijuana dispensaries, so demand is pretty high, (no pun intended) as you can imagine. The stores also tend to be a bit pricey.
The good news is that another option we mentioned before where you can get free marijuana gifts in the city.
How to buy marijuana in DC
If you are purchasing marijuana for your health concerns, then the best route to take is to visit a medical marijuana dispensary. These stores have professional budtenders who will recommend the best products for you. As a patient, you are allowed to buy up to two ounces of marijuana every month.
You can not buy weed for recreational purposes. However, you can use a gifting service and get ‘free’ marijuana for unrelated purchases.
1. In-Store Shopping
Initiative 71 states that you can not buy marijuana, so there is a range of ‘gifting’ services that will allow you to purchase smoking paraphernalia like ashtrays or even totally unrelated items, e.g., t-shirts, art prints, and mugs. As a ‘free’ gift for your purchase, you will be allowed to choose from a line of marijuana products, including edibles, buds, and strains.
You can opt to have your purchase and your gift delivered to you, but there are many other ways to access these vendors.
2. Pre Order Online & Skip the Line
These gifting services are also available in-house at smoke shops and CBD stores around Washington DC.
3. Marijuana events
You can also access marijuana at pop-up marijuana events in Washington, DC. These events are usually kept on the hush-hush, and they are hosted directly by marijuana gifting vendors. However, some of these events are not regulated and against the law which can lead to fines or jail time.
Photo by Elsa Olofsson on Unsplash
The Garden DC
The Garden DC is your one-stop CDB product and smoke shop based in Washington D.C. We offer in-store shopping & online preordering. We provide a wide range of Top Shelf Strains and edibles in DC. View the menu and text 420 to (202) 815-5663 to place your order.
For The Garden DC hours and to view our menu, please check our website. Follow us on Instagram to find out more about 420-friendly and Initiative 71-compliant marijuana gifts.
Getting weed in Washington DC
Getting weed in Washington, DC, is a simple and hassle-free process. If you'd like to learn more on how to get weed in DC, you can read our complete guide here. Through The Garden DC, you can access a wide range of edibles and strains. View our menu, visit our website, and text 420 to (202) 815-5663 to place your order.
Cover Photo by Elsa Olofsson on Unsplash