District voters have approved a ballot initiative legalizing possession and home cultivation of marijuana by a wide margin. With 80 percent of precincts reporting, Initiative 71, as it is officially known, is supported by 68 percent of voters.
The initiative, which comes just months after the District ended criminal penalities for small-time possession, permits adults to hold up to two ounces of pot and grow up to six plants at home. It does not establish any kind of regulated and taxed retail market, although the DC Council plans to create a framework similar to those established earlier this year in Colorado and Washington state.
Of course, the initiative’s fate ultimately rests on Congress’s authority to review all DC legislation, but Adam Eidinger, the pro-legalization campaign’s leader, is optimistic federal lawmakers will not intervene.
Supporters of the initiative are partying tonight at Meridian Pint in Columbia Heights. But remember, if you want to celebrate with buds instead of beer, don’t do it in public.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
District Voters Approve Legalized Marijuana
DC goes green by a wide margin.
District voters have approved a ballot initiative legalizing possession and home cultivation of marijuana by a wide margin. With 80 percent of precincts reporting, Initiative 71, as it is officially known, is supported by 68 percent of voters.
The initiative, which comes just months after the District ended criminal penalities for small-time possession, permits adults to hold up to two ounces of pot and grow up to six plants at home. It does not establish any kind of regulated and taxed retail market, although the DC Council plans to create a framework similar to those established earlier this year in Colorado and Washington state.
Of course, the initiative’s fate ultimately rests on Congress’s authority to review all DC legislation, but Adam Eidinger, the pro-legalization campaign’s leader, is optimistic federal lawmakers will not intervene.
Supporters of the initiative are partying tonight at Meridian Pint in Columbia Heights. But remember, if you want to celebrate with buds instead of beer, don’t do it in public.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Most Popular in News & Politics
8 Takeaways From Usha Vance’s Interview With Meghan McCain
Every Bus Line in DC Is Changing This Weekend. Here’s What to Know.
Another Mysterious Anti-Trump Statue Has Appeared on the National Mall
A Cult Classic of Cannabis Brands Is Making Its DC Debut
The “World’s Largest Outdoor Museum” Is Coming to DC. Here’s a Preview.
Washingtonian Magazine
July Issue: The "Best Of" Issue
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
How Would a New DC Stadium Compare to the Last One?
The Culture of Lacrosse Is More Complex Than People Think
Did Television Begin in Dupont Circle?
Kings Dominion’s Wild New Coaster Takes Flight in Virginia
More from News & Politics
Trump Pledges Support for RFK Stadium Plan, Ben’s Chili Bowl Will Strand Us Half-Smokeless for Months, and Pediatricians Are Suing RFK Jr.
Muriel Bowser Defends Her BLM Plaza Decision and Looks Back on a Decade as Mayor
Elon Musk Starts What Is Likely the First Party of His Life, Nationals Fire Longtime Management Team, and Washingtonians Got Carried Away With the Fireworks
Speaker Johnson’s Megabill Prayers Likely to Be Answered Before Holiday Weekend, Wrongly Deported Maryland Man Faced Abuse in El Salvador Prison, and We Found Some Yummy Nepalese Food
Pardoned J6er Will Join Ed Martin’s Justice Department Office, Trump Outlines Hypothetical Alligator Escape Plan, and We Have Fireworks Show Recommendations
The “World’s Largest Outdoor Museum” Is Coming to DC. Here’s a Preview.
A Cult Classic of Cannabis Brands Is Making Its DC Debut
The Commanders Wine and Dine DC Council Members; GOP Senator Suggests Tax Language Was “Airdropped” Into Spending Bill; and Trump Wants DOGE to Investigate Musk