District of ColumbiaExpired D.C. law let conditional medical cannabis licenses last up to three years
A temporary D.C. law, now expired, allowed medical cannabis businesses to hold conditional licenses for up to three years and converted certain older licenses without another fee.
What it does
Under the expired temporary law, medical cannabis businesses, including growers, sellers, and testing labs, could hold conditional licenses for up to three years.
Under the expired temporary law, one-year licenses active on December 17, 2024, that had automatically become two-year licenses converted to three-year licenses without another fee or board approval.
Argument forOwners of qualifying older licenses could have more time to use them without paying another fee or seeking another board approval.
Argument againstAutomatically converting qualifying older licenses could give the licensing board one less chance to review their holders before the licenses expire.
More detail
The temporary law allowed conditional licenses to last up to three years. This covered D.C. businesses that grew, made, sold, delivered, or tested medical cannabis, including online sellers. The law applied as of June 28, 2025, and expired 225 days after it took effect.
The temporary law automatically converted certain older licenses to three-year licenses. This applied to one-year conditional licenses active on December 17, 2024, that had automatically become two-year licenses. Owners paid no additional fee and needed no further licensing board approval. Each converted license expires two years after its original end date.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed 1st Chamber
- Passed 2nd Chamber
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Jan 23Law L26-0071, Effective from Dec 31, 2025 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 000604, Expires on Aug 13, 2026Latest
- 2025
- Nov 21Act A26-0188 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 012862
- Nov 17Transmitted to CongressMinor
- Nov 10Returned from Mayor
- Nov 10Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0188Became Law
- Oct 28Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Nov 12, 2025To Governor
- Oct 21Final Reading, CCMinor
- Vote recorded Final Reading, CC. Result: pass.Legislature
- Oct 10Notice of Intent to Act on B26-0345 Published in the District of Columbia Register
- Oct 7First ReadingMinor
- Vote recorded First Reading. Result: pass.Legislature
- Sep 17Retained by the Council with comments from the Committee on Business and Economic DevelopmentMinor
- Sep 16B26-0345 Introduced by Chairman Mendelson at Office of the SecretaryIntroduced
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