Washington DC has some pretty strange laws when it comes to cannabis. Considering it’s our nation’s capital, it seems appropriate for DC weed laws to make no sense. It’s technically legal, but you can’t smoke it in your home, unless you actually own the place or get an okay from your landlord. It’s legal to possess cannabis, but it’s illegal to sell it. So, how have retailers been getting around the strange DC weed laws? They simply give cannabis as a gift with a purchase.
It may be illegal to sell cannabis, but there is no law outlawing giving it away. This is colloquially known as the “weed gift loophole.” There are plenty of these stores that use the weed gift loophole around the DC area. They sell merchandise and apparel like other stores, but they also include a “gift” of cannabis with purchases. You’ll end up paying fifty bucks for a hat, but you’ll get a bag of weed out of the deal.
Just so you know, you can’t accept donations in exchange for cannabis. If you try this you will get busted, as one business owner learned a couple years ago. So why are DC weed laws so wacky? It’s because DC is not a state. If it were, they would have hope of passing a state law allowing a retail market. Unfortunately, this is not the case. According to Business Insider, all DC laws are reviewed by a congressional committee. Said committee can change the bill, or veto it altogether. When DC weed laws were under review, an addendum was added by Representative Andy Harris (R-MD) that prohibited any sort of retail market for cannabis. Harris is a staunch opponent of recreational cannabis.
Is there any chance that DC will change its laws anytime soon? Probably not as long as the GOP has control of Congress. Things are needlessly complicated in DC, but they’re making it work.
Source: Business Insider
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