WASHINGTON (CBSDC) — Six applicants are a step closer to becoming official medical marijuana cultivation centers in the District after receiving a notice from the D.C. Department of Health on Friday.

The locations, largely clustered in near the Langdon neighborhood in Northeast, must now apply for business licenses, building permits, certificates of occupancy and meet all other regulatory requirements before receiving official registration from DOH to operate the center.

City officials hope to announce five official locations on June 8. Those marijuana centers could be operational by the end of the year.

The six locations given the go-ahead by the DOH Friday are:

• Abatin Wellness Center 1
  2146 Queens Chapel Road NE
   
• Montana Apothecary dba Alternative Solutions
  2170 24th Place NE
   
• District Growers (1)
  2417 Evarts Street NE
   
• Holistic Remedies (1)
  1840 Fenwick Street NE
   
• Phyto Management, LLC
  3701 Benning Road NE
   
• Venture Forth dba Center City
  2210 Channing Street NE

“I am thrilled that the District of Columbia is one step closer to having the medical marijuana program available for those patients most in need,” Dr. Akhter, Director DC Department of Health, said in a statement released Friday. “The selected applicants went through a rigorous process and I am confident that these applicants are capable of ensuring patient and public safety, as they have met all the criteria defined in the program regulations.”

Thousands of residents in the District are expected to take advantage of legalized medical marijuana.