The Complete Guide to the Legal Status of Marijuana in Washington, D.C.

While marijuana has been in use both medicinally and leisurely for thousands of years, recent centuries have seen a turbulent flip within the plant’s lawfulness and history. The famous words by Bob Marley advocating Marijuana aptly describe the general attitude of the majority to weed, but it was not always this way.

In 1937, the Marijuana Tax Act effectively illegalized sale of the plant by imposing significant excise taxes on the sale, possession, or transportation of hemp.

From its prohibition in 1937 to its slow legalization across some states within the United States, the herb has remained a hot topic of disputation. However, through the Compassionate Use Act of 1996, California was the first state to legitimatize medical marijuana to be used by patients with chronic diseases.

The 1990s saw the legalization of medical marijuana in four different states and Washington D.C., and by the first 2000s, additional states such as Nevada, Montana, Rhode Island, Hawaii, etc. passed medical marijuana laws.

As of now, only ten states and D.C. have legalized marijuana for recreational purposes. It is also legal for medical purposes in 32 states even though recent opinion polls have shown at least 64% of US citizens are advocates for the herb.

Can Anybody Just Walk in and Request to Buy Weed?

In Washington D.C., marijuana for recreational use is legal, but only for adults over the age of 21.

It has been like this since 2015 after residents voted to legalize it for non-medical purposes.

The sale and purchase of marijuana in Washington, D.C. is illegal.

Where can I  Buy Weed??

Smoking weed for recreational purposes is legal, but you can’t just stroll into any shop or corner to buy weed or any of its products!

You can gift out or receive a gift of an ounce or less provided the money and services are not exchanged in the transaction.Sellers ironically, most times ‘gift’ out weed when other items are purchased. 

From pop up events to delivery services, it would be correct to say the DC weed business is geared at locals as opposed to tourists. This is because tourists usually cause problems ranging from calling the transaction a sale as opposed to a gift which makes it illegal to board a plane with weed they bought in D.C.

There have also been crazy incidents of Police breaking up pop up shows, seizing weed and arresting people even though rates of arrest on possession grounds have significantly dropped.  Some of these pop-ups also have situations where buyers are forced to purchase significantly overpriced marijuana or else.

Can I Get a Big Bag of Weed at Once?

You can legally possess two ounces on your person at once.

There may be flexibility to this if you are a licensed commercial grower and you want to transport it.

Now that I Can Smoke, Can I Smoke Anywhere?

You cannot consume, smoke, eat, or vape cannabis in public places.

The situation in D.C. is dicey in that you cannot legally consume marijuana in any way (including eating, drinking, and smoking) on federal land which constitutes almost 30 percent of the total land mass in the district, which makes it understandable why tourists are scary to vendors.

You have the liberty to do this only on private property. 

You can’t also do your stuff where tobacco is prohibited. School campuses, restaurants, bars, public parks and hospitals are included in this.

It is very important too that you know you can’t actually consume or possess cannabis on federal lands like national parks.

What If My Landlord Prohibits Smoking?

That feels terrible. But, according to the state Department of Health, your landlord or property owner is within rights to ban or limit the use and possession of cannabis on their properties.

Can You Light Up and Drive at the Same Time?

NO! It remains illegal to drive under the influence of substances.

Lighting up or snacking on any marijuana products while driving or riding as a passenger in a car is ILLEGAL.

Even if the weed is in your car, it has to be sealed and must be kept in a child-proof container out of the reach of the driver.

You are only free to hit the road once you are no longer under the influence. Penalties for marijuana DUIs range from informal probation, fines/license suspension or even jail time. As with alcohol DUIs, your penalties will become harsher with each conviction.

Can my Employer Fire me for having Marijuana in my System?

Providing a safe working environment for you and your co-workers is important. That marijuana is legal in California for recreational use doesn’t mean your employer can’t fire you for using it.

This is backed by a 2008 Supreme Court decision to the effect that public or private employers can fire employees who fail a drug screening for marijuana – never minding the state law.

If your employer is the federal government, they are also backed by the federal law that classifies marijuana as an illegal drug and in effect prohibit its use.

If your employer is the federal government, they are also backed by the federal law that classifies marijuana as an illegal drug and in effect prohibit its use.

Does this mean the Federal Government can Charge me with a Crime Relating to Marijuana?

Don’t forget that Washington, D.C is only one of the few areas to legalize the use of Marijuana for recreational purposes. Marijuana remains illegal under federal law.

Smoking in a federal park, as we mentioned earlier, is illegal.

Even more so, carrying a stash of weed larger than one ounce may open you up to scrutiny by federal bodies.

What If I want to Cultivate my Weed?

You can!

The Law (Initiative 71) also allows residents to cultivate the plant on private property. You can cultivate your own rare breed of weed and have up to 6 living marijuana plants. 

As expected, the cultivation of those plants must be in a private residence and in an area secluded from public view in compliance with all local ordinances.

If you’re interested in growing marijuana, check out our review of the Top 10 Marijuana Grow Lights you can buy on Amazon right now.

The legalization of possession of marijuana in the District has not increased the rates of crimes and accidents caused by DUIs which were the fears nursed at the inception of Initiative 71.

Conclusion

Concisely, lawmakers are on the move to fully tax and regulate the semi-legal sector, which is estimated to be worth about a staggering sum of 130 million dollars a year presently and has the capacity to be way higher provided the lawmakers succeed bearing in mind that present D.C. laws prevent the district from using its own money to enact marijuana laws.

It is hoped that this move by lawmakers would succeed as the more conservative Republicans may hinder its progress.

Either way, the fact still remains that the legalization of possession of marijuana in the District has not increased the rates of crimes and accidents caused by DUIs which were the fears nursed at the inception of Initiative 71.

What we have only done at MarijuanaBeginner.com is to give you a quick run-down of the legal status of the use of marijuana you may not know about.

Check out more laws at Marijuana Laws.