Town Hall Meeting Held To Explain Rules and Regulations of DC's Medical Marijuana Program

WASHINGTON - The D.C. City Council has already approved the measure legalizing medical marijuana. All it needs now to take effect is new Mayor Vincent Gray's signature.

The DC Patients' Cooperative held a town hall Thursday night to inform the public about the new rules.

Only people suffering from HIV, cancer, multiple sclerosis, AIDS and glaucoma would qualify. If their doctor says it's medically necessary, they could legally buy two ounces a month. Five distribution centers will be set up to distribute the drug.

"It's a better alternative for me than morphine," Christopher Garrett said.

He suffers from the autoimmune disease called aplastic anemia. The pain in his joints is so severe he drinks a tea made from cannabis nearly every day to control it.

"When this measure takes effect, I won't have to hide behind closed doors," Garrett said.

The mayor will appoint a board to review the applications of people who want to run one of the five distribution centers or ten cultivation plants.

The whole process may mean medical marijuana won't be available in the District until the fall.

"It's long overdue," said Nikolas Schiller of the DC Patients’ Cooperative.