Do you need to know how to buy weed in DC? Well, it’s not as easy as walking into any Washington DC dispensary, plopping down some cash, and walking out with your purchase. There is a bit more to it than that. 

Is Weed Legal in Washington, DC?

Well, yes and no. Here’s where things get a bit on the complicated side. Something called Initiative 71, commonly called I-71, was passed in 2015. It legalized marijuana for recreational use. However, selling recreational marijuana continues to be illegal. Here’s what 64.87 percent of voters approved when they gave Initiative 71 the green light:

• It legalized the purchase, possession, sharing, smoking, and growing of small amounts of marijuana for recreational purposes only.
• People aged 21 years or older can possess up to 2 ounces of weed.
• People aged 21 years or older may gift up to 1 ounce of it to other people aged 21 years.

Is Selling Recreational Weed Illegal? How Do I Get Any?

Here’s where the term gifting fits into the picture. Although I-71 states if you are old enough, you can buy, have, share, smoke, and grow marijuana, you can’t just buy it like you would a pack of smokes. Washington, DC dispensaries have been using a loophole since 2015 that gets pot into the hands of people seeking it without actually buying it. 

It is through the process of gifting. This is how it works: you either walk into your local dispensary or visit a Washington, DC dispensary online. You will find that they have a variety of items available to purchase, but no recreational marijuana. 

So, how do you get any of that? Simple. You purchase something else like a T-shirt or a pencil. When you make that purchase, you will receive a quantity of recreational marijuana as a gift to go with the item you just bought.

Sure, it adds an extra layer to the process of purchasing weed from a Washington DC dispensary, but it doesn’t break any laws. It keeps the dispensaries in Washington, DC, open to the public, and it gets recreational marijuana to those seeking it. Marijuana gifting has become such a popular method of distribution that more legal dispensaries near Washington, DC, are using it to meet the demands of their customer base.

Medical Marijuana Vs. Recreational Marijuana

The main difference between the two is that to purchase medical marijuana, you have to have a medical card that permits you to buy weed for the treatment of an approved medical condition. Here is the process to follow to apply for a medical marijuana card:

• Set an appointment with a licensed physician to have your condition assessed to determine if medical marijuana is an appropriate treatment.
• Should your condition be approved, you will be issued a Physician Recommendation Number. You will need this to register with the DC Department of Health. 
• Your application will be processed within 30 business days, and you will receive a card in the mail permitting you to purchase weed from any licensed I-71-compliant dispensary.

Note: The cost of the entire process, including the doctor’s consultation and application process, will be $200. 

Smoking Weed in DC – What You Can and Cannot Do

Did you know that there are several places in and around Washington DC where smoking pot is considered illegal? Essentially, you cannot smoke weed in parks, public housing developments, and any federal property, including military bases. It is also illegal to smoke marijuana in a moving vehicle. Even if you are in your car parked on the street and the keys are not in the ignition, you may get a ticket. 

The only places you can safely smoke a joint include at home, whether you live in a house, apartment, or condo. There are also 420-friendly nightclubs, hotels, and other places that permit you to smoke openly. You just can’t do it wherever you want to.

Growing Marijuana In DC

As noted above, Initiative 71 cleared the way for DC residents to grow their own marijuana. However, there are a few simple guidelines related to that. You are allowed to grow up to six plants for your personal use. However, three of those plants must already be mature. 

How To Buy Edibles?

Edibles are simply consumable products that are infused with cannabis. They come in many different forms, with gummies as a popular choice. It permits you to enjoy marijuana without having to smoke it. Online buy edibles in Washington, DC, legally or by visiting a licensed I-71-compliant dispensary. Just like you would do to obtain weed, you have to purchase something other than edibles to receive edibles. That could be digital art or buttons, and when you make your purchase, you will receive a gift of edibles.

In Conclusion

When you want to know how to buy weed in DC, you have to know that the process is not straightforward. Cannabis is an item that cannot be purchased directly in Washington, DC, but it is a gifted item. Initiative 71 legalized recreational marijuana but did not legalize the sale of marijuana. Licensed Washington DC dispensaries adopted the gifting process to get weed to people seeking it. Medical marijuana differs from recreational weed as medical pot requires qualification for a card that permits you to purchase it from dispensaries to treat a condition approved by a doctor. 

Smoking pot is permitted, but only in select locations and most certainly not in a vehicle, running or not. Edibles provide an alternative for cannabis users who do not wish to smoke it and can be purchased in the same gifting method as other forms of marijuana. As complicated as it may sound, if you were in Washington DC, looking for a joint or gummies, if you knew how to do it and where to go, you could legally get your hands on what you need without an issue.