What still needs checking
- DC medical reciprocity is a dynamic jurisdiction list; confirm before visitor travel or publication.
- Initiative 71 police page is old but still linked as guidance; current ABCA rules were separately checked for medical sales.
Possession and use
Initiative 71 permits adults 21 and older to possess up to two ounces of marijuana in the District and to use it on private property. Public consumption remains prohibited, including on streets, sidewalks, parks and in vehicles. Federal law applies on federal property and to federal officers within the District, so local possession permission is not universal.
Medical access
DC's medical cannabis program provides patient registration and licensed retailers. Eligible visitors can register for a temporary patient credential, and ABCA recognizes certain out-of-state medical program registrations for adults 21 or older with ID. Virginia patients have a special written-certification requirement. The reciprocity list can change, so visitors should verify their jurisdiction before relying on it.
Home cultivation
An adult aged 21 or older may grow up to six plants inside their principal residence, no more than three of them mature and flowering. All residents in one house or rental unit together may have no more than twelve plants, with no more than six mature and flowering. The cited personal-cultivation law does not state a separate medical-patient plant allowance. It does not authorize sale, and a property owner or controller may regulate growing there.
Buying cannabis
Initiative 71 permits an uncompensated transfer of up to one ounce between adults 21 or older, but police guidance says selling marijuana remains an offense. DC's licensed retailer license is for medical cannabis sold to eligible patients and caregivers. A 'gift' tied to a paid product or service is not the uncompensated transfer described in Initiative 71.
Taxes
DC's Office of Tax and Revenue lists medical marijuana at a 6% sales-tax rate. There is no general adult-use sales tax to quote because general adult-use retail is not licensed under the cited rules. Do not apply a medical tax rate to an unlicensed adult-use transaction.
Visitors and travel
ABCA says eligible visitors may buy medical cannabis by obtaining a temporary registration or, for recognized jurisdictions, using their valid medical registration and government-issued photo ID. This is an in-District purchase rule only. Initiative 71 and medical reciprocity do not permit carrying marijuana across state lines or onto federal property.
Sources and remaining checks
We checked the sources below on the date shown above. Rules may have changed since then. Check the current rules before making a decision, and read the remaining questions noted in this guide.
- The Facts on DC Marijuana Laws, Metropolitan Police Department. Search result read October 23, 2026; Initiative 71 limits and sales prohibition.
- Marijuana Offenses, MPD training. Older training; twelve-plant household statement, corroborative only.
- Medical Cannabis Reciprocity, ABCA. Opened October 2026; recognized jurisdictions, temporary registration and Virginia special rule.
- Medical Cannabis Patient and Facility Fees, ABCA. Search result read October 23, 2026; visitor registration eligibility and fee schedule.
- Medical Cannabis Retailer License, ABCA. Search result read October 23, 2026; retailer may sell medical cannabis.
- Sales and Use Tax FAQs, DC Office of Tax and Revenue. Search result read October 23, 2026; medical marijuana 6%; general rate remains 6% through Sept 2027.
- D.C. Code § 48–904.01(a)(1), personal cultivation. Directly read October 23, 2026; explicit six/three personal count and twelve/six aggregate residence count; no separate medical patient number in provision.
No professional legal review is claimed. Check official sources and the verification notes below.