D.C.'s first medical marijuana dispensary is now open for business.
Capital City Care opened Monday at 1334 N. Capitol St. NW and made its first sale.
Those eligible for D.C.'s medical marijuana program must be diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, cancer, glaucoma or severe muscle spasms, and must obtain a recommendation from their doctor. They must also live in D.C. and be approved by the Department of Health.
“...Every day we hear from people who are suffering from serious illnesses and need another option for treating their symptoms," said Capital City Care General Manager David Guard in a press release. "It’s an honor to be able to help them improve their quality of life and provide care to this large underserved population.”
But business may be slow at first. According to the Washington Post, only nine patients have the cards needed to receive medical marijuana.
One of those patients is Alonzo, who is living with HIV and was Capital City Care's first customer.
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"...[T]he ability to use medical marijuana will go far in helping to alleviate the challenges I have both with the disease and side effects from my medication," Alonzo said.
The dispensary's four strains of marijuana cost between $380 and $440 an ounce.
Patients cannot buy more than two ounces of marijuana a month and can carry no more than that amount on their person.
Medicinal marijuana was approved in the District back in 1998. And more than a decade later, Congress lifted its restrictions on the use of medical marijuana in the city.
Three additional dispensaries are eligible to open in the District. There's no word on when they will open.
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