Senior citizens in Washington, D.C. are on the verge of being able to access medical marijuana without having to get a doctor’s recommendation. The D.C. Council voted unanimously to pass a measure on Tuesday to expand access to the District’s medical marijuana program, Marijuana Moment writes. The “Medical Marijuana Patient Access Extension Emergency Amendment Act of 2022” will help patients in the jurisdiction and encourage people to get their medical cannabis from licensed retailers instead of from gray market vendors. The proposal will allow senior citizens over 65 to access cannabis products based on self-certification for medical needs until September 30 – without having to go through physicians for a recommendation and renewals, which can be prohibitive. The measure sheds light on the rising cost of cannabis at licensed dispensaries and “the continuing threat posed by illicit cannabis storefronts and delivery services,” the document writes. To alleviate that situation for seniors, many of whom are on fixed incomes, the measure will create a 4/20 Medical Cannabis Sales Tax Holiday Week where patients would not have to pay the normal 6 percent sales tax from April 20 through April 24, 2022. Washington D.C. residents voted for cannabis possession and home growing back in 2014, however, the market is still unregulated and people are not allowed to accept any form of remuneration for gifting.
Mmp News Author, Medical Marijuana Program Connection, 02/02/2022 12:50:00