Mayor Bowser Signs Bill Creating Medical Cannabis Sales Tax Holiday

Six percent sales tax on all medical cannabis products waived from April 15-24, 2022

(WASHINGTON, DC) –Mayor Muriel Bowser signed into law the Medical Marijuana Patient Access Extension Emergency Amendment Act of 2022 creating DC’s first medical cannabis sales tax holiday, on Friday, February 11, 2022. The holiday will start on Friday, April 15, 2022, and end on Sunday, April 24, 2022.

During the 10-day sales tax holiday, medical cannabis products purchased at any of DC’s seven (7) licensed dispensaries will be exempt from the six percent sales tax.

The Emergency Act, which is in full effect, also permits the issuance of patient and caregiver registrations valid for two (2) years—doubling the standard issuance period of one (1) year— through Friday, September 30, 2022.

Previously adopted emergency rulemaking waives registration fees ($100 for standard registrations, $25 for reduced rate registrations) through Sunday, April 24, 2022, and allows DC patients whose registrations expired on or after March 1, 2020 to continue to purchase medical cannabis at DC’s seven (7) licensed dispensaries until September 30, 2022.

Lastly, the Act permits DC residents 65 years of age and older to self-certify that they will use cannabis for medical purposes in lieu of including a recommendation from their healthcare practitioner with their registration application as is required for all other applicants. The self-certification form is available online. 

To further assist qualifying seniors to obtain their patient registration, ABRA will host “Senior Week” from Tuesday, February 22 through Friday, February 25, 2022 between 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. daily. Walk-in applicants with completed applications will receive a digital and physical registration during their visit. Assistance completing applications will also be provided as needed.

“Senior Week will provide qualifying patients 65 years of age and older with the option to obtain a two-year registration card at no cost prior to the start of the medical cannabis sales tax holiday on April 15. We appreciate the steps taken by the DC Council to ease the burdens for qualifying patients to access medical cannabis a result of this emergency legislation,” said ABRA Director Fred Moosally.

DC residents interested in securing their patient and/or caregiver registration, may do so online, by mail, or in-person at ABRA’s office every Thursday through Thursday, April 28, 2022 between 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ABRA’s office is located at 2000 14th Street NW, Suite 400 South, Washington, DC 20009.

Additional details are available on ABRA’s website.