In a much-anticipated growth, the third licensing spherical for D.C.’s expanded medical hashish program formally kicked off final week, as highlighted by reporter LJ Dawson for The Outlaw Report. The Alcohol Beverage and Hashish Board reported receiving a complete of 20 functions for retail licenses and one software for an web retailer license on the very first day of the appliance interval.
This licensing spherical goals to deal with the longstanding problem of unlicensed operators, together with the assorted “weed-gifting” outlets which have operated all through town. These outlets have ranged from reputable retail shops that gifted hashish merchandise after the acquisition of different objects to out-of-state operators establishing short-term outlets to distribute illicit market merchandise with out adhering to any gifting protocol.
Key factors candidates have to know:
- Location: Functions will probably be accepted on a first-come, first-served foundation, however outlets can’t be inside 400 toes of an current retailer, which may very well be a deciding consider acquiring a license.
- Social fairness: The appliance course of consists of each social fairness and commonplace licenses. Unregulated outlets can nonetheless apply for an fairness retail license throughout this era in the event that they had been working in 2022 and might present proof. New retailer social fairness functions will open in March.
- Timeline: The appliance interval is open till 4 P.M. on January 29, 2023. The functions will probably be accredited on a rolling foundation, and there are 4 remaining board conferences the place licenses may very well be accredited.
Over time, these outlets proliferated throughout town leading to a quasi-legal unregulated native hashish market. The federal government by no means meant for Initiative 71 (I-71), which initially legalized leisure hashish in D.C., to create such an unregulated panorama.
To fight this problem and the continued federal prohibition on hashish, the Medical Marijuana Growth Invoice was handed as a inventive resolution. This invoice permits these outlets to transition into the authorized market by making use of for licenses.
Notably, there was no chaotic scene or lengthy strains on the Alcohol Beverage and Hashish Administration workplace on the opening day of functions. Most functions had been submitted on-line, though a number of people opted to submit their functions in individual.
For a lot of, this second marks a big step in the direction of the righting of previous injustices, particularly for individuals who grew up in D.C. and witnessed the adverse impacts of the warfare on medication and gentrification of their communities.
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