What is a dispensary and how do you know if the dispensary is legally licensed.
Dispensary Definition
A marijuana (cannabis) dispensary is a facility that sells products containing cannabis and the accessories needed to use those products. A dispensary is staffed by employees with an in-depth knowledge of the products sold–enabling them to provide each individual assistance in choosing the right products, dosing suggestions and necessary accessories.
A cannabis dispensary represents the retail side of the industry. While many dispensaries may be affiliated with cultivation and/or processing operations, a dispensary does not grow or produce any products (other than pre-rolls).
How to Know a Dispensary is Licensed
All legal dispensaries are licensed by the agency overseeing the cannabis program for that state or jurisdiction. This is true regardless of whether the state/jurisdiction is medical only or adult-use and medical.
A legal dispensary will have their marijuana/cannabis license posted in a visible location. This license will clearly state the name of the facility and the type of facility (i.e. dispensary, cultivation center, processor) as well as the license number. This is not a basic business license (which anyone may obtain) but a license specifically issued to operations dealing directly with cannabis. If the dispensary cannot show you that license it is not a legal operation. In DC, in addition to the license issued by ABCA, a licensed dispensary will also have a certificate that was issued to them by the mayor’s office. This certificate will be prominently displayed at the entrance to the facility.
Finally, almost all government licensing entities publicly post the names of companies that have been issued licenses for cannabis operations, particularly dispensaries. In DC, people may verify a shop is a licensed dispensary by going to: https://abca.dc.gov/page/medical-cannabis-retailer-locations#gsc.tab=0
There are currently only eleven (11) licensed dispensaries in DC. Of the eleven, nine (9) are operational. Regulations approved by the DC Council in December 2022 will greatly increase the number of licensed operators by probably late 2024.
