2014 Washington, D.C., Initiative 71

Initiative 71

An initiative to legalize the possession and cultivation of cannabis for personal use in small amounts.
Results
Choice Votes % Yes 115,050 70.06% No 49,168 29.94% Valid votes 164,218 100.00% Invalid or blank votes 0 0.00% Total votes 164,218 100.00%
Precinct results Yes   80–90%   70–80%   60–70%   50–60% No   50–60% Other   No votes

Initiative 71 was a voter-approved ballot measure in Washington, D.C., that legalized the recreational use of cannabis. The short title of the initiative was "Legalization of Possession of Minimal Amounts of Marijuana for Personal Use Act of 2014".^[1] The measure was approved by 64.87% of voters on November 4, 2014 and went into full effect on February 26, 2015.^[2][3]

Due to a congressional mandate, Washington, D.C., is not permitted to establish recreational marijuana dispensaries as outlined in Initiative 71. As such, marijuana is currently legal to possess and use in the District and to gift up to one ounce but not to commercially produce or sell. However, the legalization of gifting up to one ounce of cannabis as outlined in Initiative 71, has created a gift economy, where stores and businesses in D.C. exchange cannabis as a gift with the purchases of items such as t-shirts, stickers etc, which are actually being purchased by customers.^[4]