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Though just miles apart, Washington, D.C. and Maryland have taken sharply divergent paths to cannabis legalization — a contrast made more ironic by the fact that one of D.C.’s most persistent political obstacles hails from across the border: Maryland Rep. Andy Harris. While Maryland moved swiftly into full adult-use legalization in 2023, the District remains boxed into a medical-only model, operating under a unique self-certification system born of congressional interference.
Yet despite these limitations, D.C.’s cannabis market is quietly rising.
In Q1 2025, the District averaged $5 million in monthly cannabis sales — about one-fourth the size of Maryland’s medical market and 7% of its adult-use sector. But when adjusted for scale, D.C. is the fastest-growing cannabis market in the region, with sales more than doubling since mid-2023.
Maryland residents have long been a key part of that growth, making up 13% of self-certified patients and 39% of out-of-state visitors using reciprocity. However, that footprint is beginning to shrink as D.C.’s local patient base expands.
This surge is reflected not just in numbers, but in product trends. Flower leads across the board, but D.C.’s average gram prices are 35% higher than Maryland’s, signaling tighter supply or stronger demand. Consumer preferences also diverge: pre-rolls are seven times more popular in D.C., while Maryland’s medical program leans heavily into edibles. Vape carts dominate in Maryland’s adult-use segment.
Small but surging, D.C.’s market shows no signs of slowing — and if the current pace continues, the District may soon be setting the tone for cannabis growth in the mid-Atlantic.
