Did you know that out of the states where cannabis has been legalized, there are different laws from one state to another? For example, in Washington, DC, weed legalization guidelines are different from those in Maryland. It can be confusing if you don’t know what you can and can’t do when you cross a state border. Sometimes, those consequences can put a real damper on your plans. So, let’s do a little bit of comparing the rules on DC marijuana to those in Maryland.

How to Buy Weed in DC?

Hmmm. Here’s a breakdown of what buying, selling, and possessing looks like following Washington DC weed legalization. You can possess up to 2 ounces legally. However, buying and selling is a tad complicated. Although recreational marijuana use was approved many years ago, lawmakers have constantly put up roadblocks concerning taxing the sale of pot. This has caused entrepreneurs at the best dispensaries in Washington, DC, to be creative in how they sell their products. For example, you could buy a T-shirt at one shop and receive a gift of marijuana as part of that purchase. It’s a loophole that seems to work for now. 

How to Buy Weed in Maryland?

The legalization of recreational weed has been a long time coming in Maryland, but it is now a fact. Lawmakers are so confident that the market will generate a hefty amount of tax revenue that licenses to set up shop should start rolling out on January 1, 2024. Existing medical dispensaries are currently the only sites that can be licensed. Allowing other businesses to license is welcome news, as residents in Maryland are permitted to buy and use recreational cannabis. Possession volumes are set much higher than in DC Dispensaries.

How to Buy Weed in Virginia?

Virginia is much like DC in that there is no legal market for the sale of cannabis. That being said, there are places where you can purchase it illegally. Although there is a governing body established to watch the recreational cannabis market, the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority sits idle as delays keep holding up the establishment of a legal market for the sale of pot. 

What does the Weed Law say in DC?

It was back in 2014 when voters in DC approved Initiative 71. That document allows adults 21 years of age and older to possess up to 2 ounces of weed legally in the state. They are also allowed to grow their own flower at home for personal use. It continues to be a legal no-no to sell pot to another individual. This snag is why many of the best dispensaries in Washington, DC, have dodged the law with the implementation of the “gifting” system. You have to admit that it is crafty and, quite honestly, an ingenious way to get around federal restrictions on marijuana.

DC does have a legal, medical market that has been much easier to access since March 2023. The Medical Cannabis Amendment Act opened doors for adults 21 years of age and older with a qualifying medical condition to self-certify. This means they can access medical marijuana without having to go through the hassle of collecting a doctor’s note to verify they qualify.

What does the Weed Law say in Maryland?

Things are quite a bit different once you step into Maryland. Voters approved the buying, selling, and possession of recreational marijuana in 2022. Immediately following that, state lawmakers created a legal framework to control (tax) the market. Licenses were first offered to established medical dispensaries, but that will change on January 1. Licenses will be offered to other business owners seeking to get in on the legal recreational weed market.

What The Weed Law Says in Virginia?

Back in 2021, Virginia legalized personal use of cannabis, with sales set to begin January 1, 2024. Lawmakers have yet to decide on the best approach to take to regulate the sale, purchase, and possession of marijuana. Gifting cannabis, as is the practice in DC, is clearly noted in Virginia law as being illegal.

 Review

In Maryland, it is legal for adults 21 years of age and older to sell, buy, and possess recreational cannabis. In both DC and Virginia, adults 21 and older are only allowed to consume recreational weed. Buying and selling it is still considered illegal. Although some of the best dispensaries in Washington, DC, have found unique ways of getting around that hurdle. 

 You can possess no more than 2 ounces of marijuana in DC. However, in Maryland, the numbers are quite different. Possession is set at a limit of 1.5 ounces, but you can have up to 12 grams of concentrated weed. No more than a total of 750 milligrams of THC in any form or combination of forms. You can only possess 1 ounce of cannabis in Virginia. In DC, you can grow six pot plants in one residence, but no more than three of them can mature at once.

On the other hand, in Maryland, you are only allowed to grow two pot plants in a private residence. They have to be hidden from view by the general public. In Virginia, you can have up to four pot plants, but they have to be out of the reach of children.

Common line 

The three states match on only one guideline. That is the consumption of cannabis. Cannabis is legal in DC, Maryland, and Virginia, provided it is on private property. That is, in your home, but you can also consume it at the home of a friend, provided you have their permission to do so. Oddly, Maryland lawmakers add that consuming pot inside a motorhome is considered illegal. In a strange twist, adults in Virginia can gift up to one ounce of pot to another adult 21 years of age or older.

Finally, in DC, medical marijuana sales are legal, with the limit set at no more than 8 ounces over a 30-day timeframe. Also, DC has permitted adults over 21 to self-certify, provided they have a qualifying condition.

 But There’s More

Alright, now that you’ve made it this far, let’s take a look at what each of these two states is raking in taxes. DC marijuana is subject to a 6 percent sales tax. What is interesting to note is that once per year, there is a tax holiday in DC during April. The holiday wipes out the tax on products purchased on that date, including items sold through licensed medical dispensaries. In Maryland, the legal market framework developed by lawmakers will see a tax of 9 percent levied on pot sales. The revenue collected from that tax is earmarked to fund the regulatory agency and to support various public health and social justice initiatives. In Virginia, you can earn a $25 fine if you possess between 1 ounce and 1 pound of cannabis. Moreover, if you have more than a pound, you are committing a felony.

In Conclusion

As friendly as the neighboring states of DC, Maryland, and Virginia may be to each other, each looks at recreational marijuana very differently. If you intend to travel between the states, it is wise to be well-versed in what you can and cannot do if you have plans that include cannabis. For more information on DC marijuana or to purchase online, visit High There at www.highthere.me.