Washington DC Marijuana Licensing

What License Types Exist in the District of Columbia?

There are six cannabis license types issued by the Alcoholic Beverage and Regulation Administration (ABRA) in the District of Columbia. The ABRA accepts applications for these licenses, except the testing laboratories license, during specific open application periods. The cannabis business licenses currently available in the District of Columbia are discussed below.

Medical Cannabis Cultivation Center License

The DC cannabis cultivation license is issued to licensed retailers, internet retailers, and manufacturers authorizing them to cultivate cannabis intended for sale to eligible patients and caregivers in DC. There are six tiers of cultivators under this license and they are categorized by the allowable canopy size of mature cannabis plants. The six cultivation tiers are:

Tier 1 - Mature cannabis canopy area up to 10,000 square feet
Tier 2 - Mature cannabis canopy area greater than 10,000 square feet but no more than 25,000 square feet
Tier 3 - Mature cannabis canopy area greater than 25,000 square feet but no more than 50,000 square feet
Tier 4 - Mature cannabis canopy area greater than 50,000 square feet but no more than 75,000 square feet
Tier 5 - Mature cannabis canopy area greater than 75,000 square feet but no more than 100,000 square feet
Tier 6 - Mature cannabis canopy area greater than 100,000 square feet

Medical Cannabis Retailer License

Formerly known as a dispensary license, this DC retailer license authorizes licensees to dispense medical marijuana and medical marijuana products to eligible patients and caregivers. It also permits licensees to make, buy, and sell medical cannabis paraphernalia.

Medical Cannabis Internet Retailer License

This license permits businesses without physical locations to sell medical cannabis as well as medical cannabis products and paraphernalia online to eligible patients and caregivers. These non-storefront retailers can dispense medical marijuana through their websites or mobile apps and use licensed courier services to deliver orders.

Medical Cannabis Manufacturer License

This DC manufacturer license permits businesses to process, package, and label medical cannabis products for sale to licensed retailers and internet retailers.

Medical Cannabis Courier License

The DC courier license is for businesses intending to conduct delivery on behalf of licensed retailers and internet retailers. These third-party delivery services are authorized to deliver medical cannabis, medical cannabis products and paraphernalia to eligible patients and their caregivers. They can deliver these products to residential and commercial building addresses but must not conduct delivery on federal or District government properties or on school grounds (except for colleges and universities and only for customers who are 21 years or older).

Testing Laboratories License

This license is issued to independent laboratories authorizing them to test medical cannabis and medical cannabis products on behalf of licensed cultivation centers and manufacturers.