
By Patrick Madden
Now that Congress has lifted the ban on medical marijuana in D.C., the city council is trying to figure out how to implement the program.
It's been eleven years since residents in D.C. voted overwhelmingly to legalize medical marijuana. Since then, eight other states have approved similar measures.
"It's a program that has been adopted successfully by other states; we haven't seen the end of the world because of medical marijuana initiatives," says D.C. Councilman Phil Mendolson.
But Mendelson says implementing the initiative will be challenging. The city will need to figure out who can grow and distribute the drug, as well as which patients will qualify for the program and how much marijuana they can possess. Mendelson says that crafting those guidelines could take months.
The initiative also needs to survive congressional review. The measure will be sent to both houses of Congress once President Obama signs the city's spending bill.

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