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The D.C. Council has unanimously passed emergency legislation that makes it simpler for residents 21 and older to get access to medical marijuana.
The bill passed Tuesday, co-sponsored by Council members Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) and Kenyan McDuffie (D-Ward 5), would lift the requirement for a physician’s recommendation in order to get a patient card for medical marijuana, WTOP reported.
Patients can self-certify their qualifications for medical marijuana.
“These patients are going to places that have marijuana,” said Cheh, who expressed concerns about the quality and safety of marijuana sold at unregulated shops, WTOP reported.
The bill seeks to make it easier for patients to buy medical marijuana at one of the city’s seven dispensaries due to the limited number of physicians who can provide recommendations, with only 620 registered providers out of thousands in the city.
WTOP reported that lawmakers are working to make the legislation permanent and to focus on eliminating or strongly regulating illegal dispensaries.