ACCESS TO MEDICAL MARIJUANA DELAYED

D.C. residents seeking medical marijuana are unable to obtain a
prescription in the city, despite the legalization of the drug last summer.

Difficulties in regulating the drug have caused delays in
dispensaries being set up, D.C. Department of Health spokeswoman
Mahlori Isaacs said.

"Due to legal litigation, it is unclear when medicinal marijuana will
make it to Washington, D.C. depositories," Isaacs said.

Medical marijuana became legal in the District July 27, 2010, after
Congress' allotted 30-day review period expired. If Congress does not
touch a bill passed by the D.C. Council in that 30-day period, it
automatically becomes law.

The D.C. health department is responsible for establishing the
regulations needed to ensure the legal distribution of the
controversial drug. Proposed rules for the cultivation and
distribution of the drug are expected to take effect once they are
published in the D.C. Register. Though this is expected to happen
soon, there is no official date set at this time.

GW Hospital spokeswoman Heather Oldham said the hospital is unable to
comment on whether or not it will be allowed to distribute medicinal marijuana.

Oldham said the hospital's lawyers are still attempting to figure out
what changes the hospital would need to make in order to accommodate the law.

D.C. hospitals will be able to distribute the drug if they submit a
dispensary registration application and are approved by the D.C.
Board of Health, similar to any other dispensary, Issacs said. She
added that hospitals will probably not qualify as cultivation centers
due to difficulties in ensuring the security of the facility.

GW Hospital physicians will be able to recommend marijuana treatment
for patients who qualify.

A medical marijuana certification provider, according to proposed
rules, must certify businesses or individuals who want to distribute
medicinal marijuana. To be certified, distributors must submit an
application detailing facility's staffing, security, cultivation and
product safety plan.

As of now, no dispensaries have been qualified by the DOH, Issacs said.

Only individuals with a recommendation from a Department of
Health-registered physician will be able to use medical marijuana in
D.C. Anyone who wants to obtain the drug for medicinal purposes must
also provide a social security number and proof of residency in the
District to be approved by the DOH.

Only D.C. residents will be able to obtain the drug here, so students
who are not permanent residents of the District won't be able to
purchase marijuana from D.C. dispensaries, even if they have
permission to obtain the drug in states that already allow the use of
medicinal marijuana.