Store for Medical Marijuana Cultivators Opens in Washington, D.C.

A retail store that calls itself a one-stop shop for marijuana cultivators opened in Washington, D.C. last week. WeGrow is located about four miles from the White House, according to the New York Daily News.

Medical marijuana dispensaries are set to open in Washington, D.C. this summer. Marijuana cultivation centers have begun to lease storefronts throughout Washington. Residents will be able to purchase marijuana if they are diagnosed with HIV, cancer, glaucoma or other serious chronic or serious illnesses. They will be allowed to carry no more than 2 ounces, and will not be allowed to smoke marijuana in public or at dispensaries.

Medical marijuana was first approved by residents of Washington, D.C. in 1998, but Congress rejected the ballot measure. In 2010, Congress agreed to stop blocking the measure.

WeGrow does not sell marijuana plants or seeds, the article notes. It sells equipment and supplies for indoor growing, such as lights, fertilizers and drying racks. The store also will offer classes on how to grow medical marijuana.

On Friday, the D.C. Department of Health notified six applicants who are eligible to register for a medical marijuana cultivation center in the area. The Director, Dr. Mohammed Akhter, said in a statement, “I am thrilled that the District of Columbia is one step closer to having the medical marijuana program available for those patients most in need.”

Applicants must now apply for business licenses, building permits, certificates of occupancy, and meet all other regulatory requirements before they receive permission from the city’s Department of Health to operate a medical marijuana cultivation center.