Washington, D.C. Inches Closer to Medical Marijuana
It’s now been almost 13 years since nearly 70% of D.C. voters approved an initiative enacting a medical marijuana law in the nation’s capital, though you’d be forgiven if you hadn’t noticed. An obscure budget provision known as the “Barr Amendment” stalled implementation for years, and when it was finally removed (after MPP hired Congressman Barr to help defeat his own amendment) in late 2009, the D.C. Council went to work passing an amendment to the law making the proposed program much more restrictive. Since then, the glacial pace of implementation has kept medicine from patients for another year.
But finally, there’s progress. Today, the D.C. Department of Health is making applications available for prospective cultivation center operators. You can read the official notice in today’s DC Register. Only those who submitted the required letter of intent back in June will be able to apply. There were over 100 letters submitted by groups interested in operating cultivation centers, including Benjamin Bronfman, the fiancé of rapper M.I.A. of Paper Planes fame.
Today’s notice applies only to cultivation centers, not dispensaries, so advocates will have to wait a little longer for those. There’s also no word on when patients will be able to apply to the program. Still, it’s progress.
August 5, 2011 15 Comments
Former Congressman Bob Barr on Bipartisanship
In the 90s, Congressman Barr was one of MPP’s most aggressive opponents. He authored the Barr amendment in 1998, which for 10 years has blocked Washington, D.C. from implementing a voter-approved medical marijuana initiative. In recent years, however, Congressman Barr has changed both his position and his party affiliation — and has worked with MPP to eliminate the amendment that bears his name.
This talk from early July deals with bipartisanship in drug policy reform and conservative arguments for changing our marijuana laws.
July 16, 2009 24 Comments
