D.C. Marijuana Decriminalization Takes Effect (July 17, 2014): The $25 Fine Law

By James Buddsey · Updated October 16, 2026

Washington, D.C.’s Marijuana Possession Decriminalization Amendment Act took effect on July 17, 2014, making possession of 1 ounce or less of marijuana a civil violation punishable by a $25 fine instead of a crime. It gave the District one of the lightest possession penalties in the country and survived a House attempt to block it. Four months later, D.C. voters went further with Initiative 71.

What Happened

The law, Bill 20-409, passed the D.C. Council on first reading on February 4, 2014, and on final reading on March 4, 2014. Mayor Vincent Gray signed it on March 31, and it went to Congress for the review period required under the Home Rule Act. It became D.C. Law 20-126 on July 17, 2014 (D.C. Council, Law 20-126).

The final vote was 10 to 1, with one member voting present. Councilmember Tommy Wells was the lead sponsor. Councilmember Yvette Alexander cast the only no vote, arguing that it made little sense to make possession a civil infraction while buying and using marijuana stayed illegal (NPR).

What changed on July 17

• Possessing, or giving away without payment, 1 ounce or less became a civil violation, not a criminal offense (D.C. Code 48-1201).
• The penalty was a $25 civil fine, plus seizure of any marijuana and paraphernalia the officer could see. Minors got the same fine, with notice mailed to a parent (D.C. Code 48-1203).
• Refusing to give an officer your name and address, or giving a false one, was punishable by a $100 fine (D.C. Code 48-1202).
• Smoking in public stayed a crime: a misdemeanor with up to 60 days in jail (D.C. Code 48-911.01). Selling any amount, and possessing more than an ounce, also remained crimes.

Ahead of the change, D.C. police handed officers wallet-sized cards summarizing the new rules. Federal law still applied on federal land, which covers much of the city, including the National Mall.

Why It Mattered

Supporters’ main argument was racial disparity in arrests. A June 2013 ACLU report found that, nationally, Black Americans were 3.73 times as likely as white Americans to be arrested for marijuana possession despite similar use rates (ACLU). Decriminalization meant that a small amount of marijuana no longer led to a criminal record in the District.

Congress tried to stop it. On June 25, 2014, House Republicans led by Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland added a rider to a spending bill to bar D.C. from using funds to reduce penalties for Schedule I drugs. Harris called a $25 fine “bad policy,” noting Maryland’s fine was $100 (Washington Post). The rider had not become law when the review period ended, so decriminalization took effect on schedule.

What Happened Next

On November 4, 2014, D.C. voters approved Initiative 71, which made it legal for adults 21 and over to possess up to 2 ounces and grow up to six plants at home. A version of the Harris rider was included in the December 2014 federal spending law, but it did not stop Initiative 71 from taking effect on February 26, 2015. The rider has blocked the District from creating a licensed recreational market ever since. We cover that story in D.C. legalizes marijuana: Initiative 71 and the CRomnibus fight.

Where It Stands in 2026

The 2014 civil-violation law is still in the D.C. Code, but Initiative 71 largely replaced it for adults: people 21 and over can legally possess up to 2 ounces. Public consumption is still a misdemeanor, and recreational sales are still illegal; the only legal stores are licensed medical retailers. See our Washington, D.C. marijuana laws guide for current rules, our guide to getting weed in D.C., and our federal law guide for rules on federal land.

D.C. Marijuana Decriminalization FAQ

Originally reported by The Weed Street Journal; rewritten and updated in October 2026 with what happened next.