Washington, DC Public Conduct: Public Marijuana Use (2026)

C. 01 prohibits smoking or otherwise consuming marijuana in or upon a public space, listing streets, alleys, parks, sidewalks, and parking areas, a vehicle parked or driven on any of those areas, and any place to which the public is invited. The ban applies notwithstanding any other District law, meaning the District's broader legalization of marijuana possession does not create an exception for public use. A separate impairment clause in subsection (b) bars anyone, on public or someone else's private property, from being impaired from smoking or consuming marijuana in a way that endangers the safety of themselves, another person, or property.

The section defines "smoke" broadly in subsection (e) as inhaling, ingesting, or otherwise introducing marijuana into the body, or holding or carrying a lighted roll of paper or other lighted smoking equipment filled with marijuana, so lighting up counts even before a person actually inhales. Violating either the public-use ban in subsection (a) or the impairment ban in subsection (b) is a misdemeanor. C. 01 or imprisonment for not more than 60 days. 01(b)(3) caps the fine at $500 for an individual defendant. S. Attorney.

The Metropolitan Police Department enforces the section on the street, most often issuing citations or arrests for use in parks, on sidewalks, or in vehicles rather than for private consumption behind closed doors.