Mayor Muriel Bowser is proposing to double the amount of medical marijuana in Washington D.C. that patients can receive in a month. This new change would up the limit from the two ounces of medical marijuana, up to four ounces per month, citing “best practices.”

Mayor Bowser states: “We are committed to building a safe, high-quality medical marijuana program that meets the needs of patients without unduly burdening patients and providers… As such, we are excited to make improvements that will enhance the effectiveness of our program by aligning it with best practices and allow us to better meet the need of our residents and the growth of the medical marijuana industry.”

A D.C. Department of Health’s Scientific Subcommittee unanimously voted to recommend increasing the limit in July, which is a change that dispensaries have been requesting for several years and just now receiving.

Mike Cuthriell, President of Metropolitan Wellness Center mentioned: “We thought it was going to be pretty easy to increase it… Two years [to come to a decision] was an extended period that seemed a bit negligent.”

It turned out that he was absolutely right, and hundreds of patients have been falling short on their monthly supply towards the end of the month for medical marijuana. Not all of the patients hit their monthly limit, but those that do are left either in pain or needing to turn to the underground market to subsidize the remainder.

The D.C. Department of Health also plans to create a new division within the agency that will be “devoted to advancing science, technology and innovation in the fast-paced field of medical marijuana.” As the medical marijuana program in Washington D.C. continues to take shape, there are many new advances to be made and the residents are eager and willing to embrace them as they come.