After months of delay, Mayor Vince Gray announced this afternoon that the rules and regulations governing the District's medical marijuana program will go into effect on Friday, April 15 when they're published in the D.C. Register. The news comes as advocates of the program have started complaining loudly about delays in its implementation, which dates back almost a year. After months of delay, Mayor Vince Gray announced this afternoon that the rules and regulations governing the District's medical marijuana program will go into effect on Friday, April 15 when they're published in the D.C. Register. The news comes as advocates of the program have started complaining loudly about delays in its implementation, which dates back almost a year.

"District residents suffering from painful conditions like cancer and HIV/AIDS will soon have one more option to help relieve their symptoms," Gray said in a statement released to DCist. "In addition, the regulations published today will put in place the structure necessary to allow registered parties to grow and sell medical marijuana in a safe and medically appropriate manner. These regulations are among the most comprehensive anywhere in the country and are intended to describe the rights and obligations of patients, growers and sellers clearly."

The District's medical marijuana program was originally endorsed by 69 percent of voters in a 1998 referendum, but congressional interference prohibited the city from actually implementing it. In late 2009, Democrats allowed the District to move forward with the program. It was only last year that the D.C. Council got around to passing enabling legislation that was given the go-ahead when Congress raised no objections. Last August, a first draft of rules governing the program were published for public comment, and a second version was released in November.