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President Trump has signed a new executive order launching a sweeping crackdown on crime in Washington DC, a move which could have major implications for the state’s cannabis market.
Central to the order is the creation of the oddly-named ‘DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force’, tasked with ‘preventing crime, punishing criminals, preserving order… and promoting the beautification’ in the state.
While the executive order does not introduce new legislation specifically targeting cannabis, the accompanying fact sheet makes clear that the decriminalization of marijuana in DC is a point of concern for the Trump administration.
Citing what it describes as failed local policies, including leniency on cannabis and other low-level offenses, the administration links DC’s approach to a broader breakdown in public safety and prosecutorial enforcement.
The fact sheet states that ‘DC’s failed policies opened the door to disorder,’ explicitly listing cannabis decriminalization alongside ‘catch-and-release’ pretrial policies and rioter leniency.
Washington DC officially legalized adult-use cannabis in 2017, but due to its unique status as a ‘federal district’, it is directly governed by the federal government rather than having its own independent legislature,
Because cannabis remains federally illegal Congress has largely blocked the implementation of its cannabis programme, driving a booming grey market in which businesses exploit a provision allowing the gifting of up to two ounces to a friend without payment.
The order empowers federal agencies, including the Department of Justice, the FBI, and the US Attorney’s Office, to coordinate with local law enforcement and pursue stricter enforcement of drug possession, use, and sale laws, particularly on federal lands.
This may lead to increased crackdowns on cannabis-related activity in federally managed areas like the National Mall, Lafayette Park, and Rock Creek Park.
It comes as a crackdown on these grey-market stores continues at pace. According to The Outlaw Report, 41 formerly unlicensed cannabis storefronts have successfully transitioned into the legal medical cannabis market, just ahead of the March 31, 2025 deadline set by city regulators.
This marks a 170% increase in converted unlicensed stores compared to the previous week and nearly doubles the number of operational medical dispensaries in the District.
The swift transition represents just under 50% of all unlicensed applicants tracked over the last year by The Outlaw Report. As of April 1, 55 dispensaries are now registered on METRC, the cannabis tracking system used by regulators, more than a 50% expansion in the legal dispensary market in under a month.
“}]] Central to the order is the creation of the oddly-named ‘DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force’, tasked with ‘preventing crime, punishing criminals, preserving order… and promoting the beautification’ in the state. Read More
