Washington D.C. is forging ahead with plans to allow five select applicants to open medical marijuana dispensaries despite a “war on weed” by the federal government in California.
The District has already whittled down the candidate list from 64 initial applicants last summer to a handful of pre-approved individuals and groups. The finalists have until Oct. 31 to submit the necessary paperwork to be considered for a license. Officials have already chosen 10 groups to open marijuana cultivation centers, which will supply the dispensaries.
If the process continues on its current pace, the next few weeks could mark a watershed moment for medical marijuana efforts in D.C. Attempts to set up an MMJ infrastructure in D.C. over the past decade have been met with numerous setbacks and controversy. But pot backers have finally gained momentum, and it appears the first dispensaries will open in the nation’s capital sometime early next year.
The whole situation is dripping with irony, as the federal government still considers medical marijuana illegal.
