Jessica Giles’ Testimony at Committee of the Whole and Committee on Business and Economic Development Joint Hearing
Jessica Giles
Executive Director, DC
Education Reform Now Advocacy
DC Council’s Committee of the Whole and Committee on Business and Economic Development Joint Hearing on:
B25-0581, the “Medical Cannabis Clarification Amendment Act of 2023”
B25-0691, the “Medical Cannabis Program Enforcement Amendment Act of 2024”
Greetings, Chairman Mendelson, Chairman McDuffie, Members, and Staff of the Committee of the Whole and Committee on Business and Economic Development. My name is Jessica Giles. I am a ward seven resident and the Executive Director of the D.C. Chapter of Education Reform Now Advocacy, an organization fighting for a just and equitable public education system for all students.
I am submitting written testimony on B25-0581, the “Medical Cannabis Clarification Amendment Act of 2023,” and B25-0691, the “Medical Cannabis Program Enforcement Amendment Act of 2024.” We urge you to remove the following paragraph from the emergency, temporary, and permanent legislation:
“(c) For purposes of this section, the 300-foot restrictions shall not apply where the main entrance to the preschool, primary or secondary school, or recreation center, or the nearest property line of the school or recreation center, is actually on or occupies ground zoned commercial or industrial according to the official atlases of the Zoning Commission of the District of Columbia.”
We are opposed to this subsection for three reasons:
Cannabis use among high school students in DC is common, and it can negatively impact their health. According to the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey: 1 out of 5 high school students used marijuana within the last 30 days. This rate increased for students with poor mental health and who identify as LGBTQ+.1 Teenagers who use cannabis recreationally are two to four times as likely to develop psychiatric disorders, such as depression and suicidality, than teens who don’t use cannabis at all.2
The proximity of cannabis retailers and advertisements can increase cannabis use among adolescents. A study found that “younger student cannabis use was most often linked to cannabis advertising exposure, while older student cannabis use was more common among students who attended high schools within 1 mile from a cannabis retailer.”3
Cannabis retailers and cultivation centers should be 300 feet or more from every public school, regardless of how it is zoned. The current subsection creates an exception that allows cannabis retailers and cultivation centers to open next door to a child care center, public school, or recreation center if the facility is located on a zoned commercial or industrial site.
Ultimately, we are neutral on whether medical dispensaries should be legalized and regulated in the District of Columbia. However, we oppose the DC Council passing legislation that would likely adversely impact our youth. We encourage you to remove subsection c. Thank you for allowing me to submit written testimony. Please include this in the public record for this hearing.
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1 Office of the State Superintedent of Education. (2021) 2021 DC Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Source: https://osse.dc.gov/service/dc-youth-risk-behavior-survey-yrbs Accessed: March 6, 2024.
2 Columbia University Department of Psychiatry. (2023) “Recreational Cannabis Use By Teens Linked to Risk of Depression, Suicidality.” Source: https://www.columbiapsychiatry.org/news/recreational-cannabis-use-among-u-s-adolescents-poses-risk-adverse-mental-health-and-life-outcomes Accessed: March 6, 2024.
3 Firth, C. L., Carlini, B., Dilley, J., Guttmannova, K., & Hajat, A. (2022) “Retail cannabis environment and adolescent use: the role of advertising and retailers near home and school.” Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9189000/ Accessed: March 6, 2024.
