Local lawmakers in Washington D.C. are seeking to get medical marijuana laws changed.
As of right now, under the laws of 29 states and Washington, D.C., patients who want medical marijuana must first get official recommendations from physicians.
The Medical Marijuana Improvement Amendment Act of 2017 could change this.
Under the act, patients may be allowed to self-certify that they qualify for medical marijuana.
Rather than visit a doctor, fill out paper and wait for the D.C. government to issue them a medical marijuana ID card, they can instead visit a dispensary and present a signed affidavit affirming that they use cannabis “explicitly for medical purposes,” are over 21 years of age and are aware of local and federal marijuana laws.
It was Councilmember David Grosso who proposed the bill earlier this month.
He said, “Medical marijuana has been shown to be a viable alternative to the prescription of opioid painkillers, which can set people down the path to addiction. While we have made significant improvements to our medical marijuana program here in D.C., there is more we can do to improve access for patients and reduce opioid reliance and overdose.”
Councilmembers Vincent Gray, Robert White and Brianne Nadeau have signed on to the bill as cosponsors.
