1
1
______________________________ 2
Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie 3
4
5
6
7
8
A PROPOSED RESOLUTION 9
_________________ 10
11
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 12
_________________________ 13
14
To declare the existence of an emergency with respect to the need to provide that the five 15
cultivation center registration applicants that scored 150 points or more after 16
submitting a medical cannabis facility registration to the Alcoholic Beverage and 17
Cannabis Board during the open application period that occurred between 18
November 29, 2021 and March 28, 2022, shall be considered for a manufacturer 19
license. 20
21
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That 22
this resolution may be cited as the “Medical Cannabis Manufacturer Clarification 23
Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2023”. 24
Sec. 2. (a) There exists an immediate need to increase medical cannabis product 25
availability in the District and provide that the 5 cultivation center registration applicants 26
that submitted a medical cannabis facility registration applications to the Alcoholic 27
Beverage and Cannabis Board between November 29, 2021 and March 28, 2022, (“open 28
application period”) that scored 150 points or more be considered for a manufacturer 29
license. 30
(b) During the open application period for a cultivation center registration, 31
the medical cannabis manufacturer license category did not exist in the District. Prior to 32
March 22, 2023, a cultivation center registration was required to manufacture medical 33 2
cannabis products in the District. A number of cultivation center applicants that scored 34
150 points or more applied to the Board with the intention of manufacturing medical 35
cannabis products as part of their business plan. 36
(c) On March 22, 2023, the Medical Cannabis Amendment Act of 2023, 37
effective March 22, 2023 (D.C. Law 24-332; 70 DCR 4303), took effect, which requires 38
a medical cannabis business to obtain a manufacturer license to manufacture and sell 39
medical cannabis products for resale. 40
(d) Four of the 5 cultivation center registration applicants that scored 150 41
points or more as a result of the open application period have been designated by the 42
Department of Small and Local Business Development as a Medical Cannabis Certified 43
Business Enterprise with an equity impact enterprise certification subcategory. 44
(e) With the open application period for unlicensed establishments, 45
including retailer and internet retailer applications, beginning on November 1, 2023, it is 46
imperative that the District increase the production and the availability of medical 47
cannabis products in the District. Consequently, it is necessary for the Council to pass the 48
underlying legislation on an emergency basis. 49
Sec. 3. The Council determines that the circumstances enumerated in section 2 50
constitute emergency circumstances making it necessary that the Medical Cannabis 51
Manufacturer Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2023 be adopted after a single 52
reading. 53
Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately. 54