In less than a month, the final medical cannabis license application period will open for non-social equity dispensaries in the District.
This will mark the end of a year of different periods for growers, manufacturers and retailers set by the Alcohol Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) after the D.C. council passed the Medical Cannabis Amendment Act of 2022. The act demands that 50% of the licenses be awarded to social equity applicants in this expansion.
There were three application periods: first for unlicensed operators, then for social equity applicants, and now for standard retail applicants.
Over 250 applicants submitted social equity applications during the last period, which ended in March. Only 33 retailers and two internet retailers were approved by the time the period closed. The other 200-plus applications are still being processed and not all could be finalized.
According to ABCA, starting in July, there will only be 33 retail licenses and two internet licenses available for non-social equity applicants. This cap will not increase, even if additional social equity licenses are approved.
Applications will be accepted on a first-come basis, whether they are for standard licenses or conditional licenses. Conditional licensees currently have a year to open their
