D.C. reaches 100th illegal cannabis business closure under emergency enforcement law

[#item_full_content] The District of Columbia has marked its 100th illegal cannabis business closure since launching enhanced enforcement efforts under the Medical Cannabis Conditional License and Unlicensed Establishment Closure Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2024, city officials announced Thursday. Mayor Muriel Bowser, along with the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), said the milestone was reached following a Jan. 1 operation in which regulators shuttered and padlocked an unlicensed cannabis business operating out of a private residence on B Street SE. Enforcement actions against illegal cannabis operators began in September 2024, after the emergency legislation granted ABCA new civil authority to shut down unlicensed establishments deemed to pose public safety risks or undermine the District’s regulated medical cannabis market. “This is about keeping our community safe and healthy,” Bowser said in a statement. “We have a legal medical cannabis market – that is the market where eligible people should be buying and selling medical cannabis.” During the B Street SE operation, MPD officers seized approximately 20 pounds of marijuana and 600 grams of THC wax, along with several firearms, including a 9mm rifle and a 12-gauge shotgun, as well as 114 rounds of ammunition. Three individuals were arrested in connection with the raid, according to authorities. Since the Cannabis Enforcement Task Force began joint operations, officials say enforcement teams have removed significant quantities of unregulated cannabis products and illegal weapons from illegal shops across the District. Seizures to date include more than 700 pounds of marijuana, over 6,300 pounds of THC edibles, more than 540 pounds of THC vape cartridges and pens, and smaller quantities of concentrates, wax, lotions, and entheogenic fungi. Authorities have also seized 12 illegal firearms and made 56 arrests. ABCA Director Fred Moosally said the agency’s approach has paired enforcement with outreach, offering businesses a legal pathway into the District’s medical cannabis program before shutdowns began. “ABCA is committed to ensuring DC’s medical cannabis program offers a range of safe, legal products for patients as well as opportunities for legal businesses to succeed,” Moosally said, noting that more than 90 businesses chose to pursue licensure after receiving guidance from the agency. Interim MPD Chief Jeffery W. Carroll emphasized the connection between illegal cannabis operations and broader public safety concerns, including gun violence. “We know that these locations, and those operating them, can be drivers of gun violence,” Carroll said. “That increases the urgency to shut them down.” The Bowser Administration has linked the cannabis enforcement initiative to broader public safety investments and declining crime rates, citing a 29% reduction in violent crime in 2025 and a homicide clearance rate of 85%, the highest in more than a decade. District officials continue to encourage residents to report suspected illegal cannabis operations through ABCA’s online complaint system, noting that reports can be submitted anonymously.  Read More