TV personality Montel Williams is part of a group seeking licenses to grow and dispense medical marijuana in Washington D.C.
Williams, a daytime TV host for 17 years, said he uses medical marijuana to manage symptoms related to multiple sclerosis but has seen the need for more professional distribution system.
The Washington Post cited city records showing that the nonprofit Abatin Wellness Center has expressed preliminary interest in opening medical marijuana businesses in the city. A dispensary by the same name opened this year in Sacramento with Williams as its public face.
Washington attorney Frederick D. Cooke Jr. was hired to shepherd the application through the process. Cooke confirmed Tuesday that Williams has a major role in the group.
Jonathan Franks, a Los Angeles-based publicist for Williams and Abatin, told the newspaper, “This is not a spokesman-for-hire deal.”
Williams, 54 has been an outspoken medical marijuana advocate since he began using the drug to relieve pain caused by multiple sclerosis. He visited Washington earlier this year to show his interest in the city and its marijuana program, according to Cooke.
Applications to operate cultivation centers are due Sept. 16. The application period for dispensaries will follow.
Portions Of This Article From The Associated Press
