DC has 2nd-highest weed consumption in the US: study
WASHINGTON - A new study shows Washington, D.C. has the second most weed consumers in the country, outpacing early adopters to recreational marijuana, including Colorado.
Data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration shows that 33% of adults in D.C. use marijuana for recreational and medical purposes. Research for the study was conducted by personal injury attorneys Siegfried and Jensen.
That's second only to Vermont, with a reported 34.37% of adults using marijuana in 2022. Vermont legalized medical cannabis in 2004, and recreational cannabis in 2018.
Also topping the list are Oregon, Alaska and Washington. The state where residents use marijuana the least: Alabama, with just 13.89% of adults using cannabis in 2022.
Is weed legal in DC?
Since the passing of Initiative 71 in 2014, possession of small amounts of marujana is legal in the District of Columbia for adults.
What isn't legal is consuming marijuana in public or selling marijuana to another person. D.C. does not have a recreational marijuana marketplace where weed smokers can legally buy marijuana.
D.C.'s gifting shops skirt around the rules – by creating a black market where recreational marijuana consumers can buy a product or service, like a t-shirt or a workout plan, and be gifted marijuana from their purchase.
These gifting shops have faced crackdowns in recent months, with multiple shops being raided and shut down by D.C. Police and officials from the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA).