Washington DC Cannabis Software

Does Washington, DC require Metrc?

Yes. The Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) requires every licensed medical cannabis business in Washington, DC, including cultivation centers, manufacturers, retailers, internet retailers, couriers and testing laboratories, to use Metrc as the District's seed-to-sale tracking system. DC licensees operate in the District instance at dc.metrc.com and must complete Metrc's DC New Business training. Plants and wholesale packages carry serialized RFID tags, transfers require Metrc manifests, and retail sales are recorded against unique patient numbers rather than personal information.

Can I open a recreational dispensary in Washington, DC?

No. As of September 2026, Washington, DC licenses only medical cannabis businesses. A congressional appropriations rider bars the District from enacting a law to regulate commercial adult-use sales, so ABCA cannot issue recreational retail licenses. However, any adult 21 or older can self-certify as a medical patient and buy from a licensed medical retailer, which makes DC's medical market function more broadly than most medical programs. Operators who want to sell in DC must hold an ABCA medical license.

Why can't Washington, DC sell adult-use cannabis?

DC voters legalized adult possession, home cultivation and gifting through Initiative 71 in 2014, but Congress controls the District's budget. Since December 2014, Congress has attached a rider, often called the Harris rider after Rep. Andy Harris, to DC appropriations that prohibits the District from using funds to enact laws reducing penalties for Schedule I substances, including by regulating commercial sales. The rider was retained for FY2026, and as of September 2026 DC is funded under a continuing resolution through December 11, 2026.

What cannabis licenses does Washington, DC issue?

ABCA issues six medical cannabis license classes: Cultivation Center, Manufacturer, Retailer, Internet Retailer, Courier and Testing Laboratory. It also offers conditional licenses for applicants without a location, valid for up to three years, and a Certification Training Provider permit. Retailers may add Delivery, Education Tasting, Safe-Use Treatment Facility and Summer Garden endorsements. At least 50% of new licenses are set aside for social equity applicants, and ownership limits cap combined retail and internet retail licenses at three per licensee.

How much does a DC medical cannabis license cost?

Standard annual fees are $16,000 for a retailer or internet retailer, $8,000 for a courier, $7,500 for a testing laboratory, $4,000 or $8,000 for a manufacturer depending on whether extraction is included, and $11,000 to $36,000 for a cultivation center based on canopy size. One-time application fees range from $4,000 to $8,000, and testing laboratories pay none. Social equity applicants receive reduced fees for the first three years of operation.

What are the medical cannabis purchase limits in Washington, DC?

A registered patient in Washington, DC may purchase up to 8 ounces of dried medical cannabis within a rolling 30-day period. Alternatively, the limit is 240 grams of concentrate for patients 21 and older (60 grams for patients 18 to 20), or products containing a combined total of 600,000 mg of THC. Retailers must verify each patient's remaining allotment in the real-time electronic records system before completing a sale.

How does Flourish help with DC Metrc compliance?

Flourish is a seed-to-sale ERP that integrates with Metrc through its API; it does not replace Metrc, which remains the District's system of record. For DC operators, Flourish serves as the operational layer where plant, package, transfer, testing, adjustment and sales activity is recorded once and synced to Metrc, reducing double entry and making discrepancies visible before an ABCA inspection. This is particularly relevant for vertically integrated operators managing multiple licenses under the District's ownership limits.