The DC Department of Health is in the process of enacting a program that will provide legal access to medical marijuana to individuals with HIV/AIDS and other serious health conditions, including glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, and cancer. This program was voted into law by the DC Council in May 2010.

The District of Columbia is in the midst of an HIV/AIDS epidemic, with over 15,000 confirmed cases and over 3% of adults testing positive for HIV.  Medical marijuana has been proven effective in helping individuals with HIV stay on their prescription medication, which helps slow the spread of the disease. It also provides immense relief to many of the symptoms of HIV/AIDS including AIDS Wasting Syndrome.

The Department of Health is legally obligated to educate doctors about medical marijuana, including how doctors can legally recommend it to their patients. Yet in the two years since the program began, there has not yet been any outreach to District physicians.  There are 265 AIDS Service Organizations providing health care services to thousands of area residents with HIV/AIDS.  Fostering an informed medical community will provide immediate benefits to alleviating DC's HIV/AIDS crisis, and will also provide immense relief to sick patients with other severe medical conditions.

Sick patients are suffering while they wait for the DC Department of Health to do their job to educate District doctors about the medical marijuana program. The Department of Health must act now--no one will have access to medical marijuana until doctors can start recommending it to their patients.