Mayor Bowser Announces 100th Illegal Cannabis Business Closure Since Emergency Amendment Act of 2024

(Washington, DC) - Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser, the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA), and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced that District Government reached a major milestone in its commitment to a safe and regulated cannabis market: the District's 100th illegal cannabis business closure since enforcement closures began in September 2024. On January 1, 2026, ABCA and MPD shuttered and padlocked an illegal cannabis business that had been operating out of a private residence on B Street SE. These enforcement actions affirm the Bowser Administration's commitment to upholding the law and protecting the health and safety of DC residents.

"This is about keeping our community safe and healthy," said Mayor Bowser. "We have a legal medical cannabis market - that is the market where eligible people should be buying and selling medical cannabis. As we mark this 100th closure, I'm grateful for the steady work of our enforcement teams, and now the work continues."

Before the enforcement initiative began, ABCA worked with business owners, residents, government agencies, and community organizations to provide information about the licensing process and the laws governing cannabis in the District. Support was offered to businesses that were interested in becoming legal medical cannabis providers, and more than 90 businesses chose that path forward. DC residents can safely access medical cannabis by registering online through a free patient registration form and purchasing from licensed medical cannabis retailers. For more information about DC's legal medical cannabis program, visit abca.dc.gov/page/medical-cannabis-program.

"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," said ABCA Director Fred Moosally. "Alongside MPD and other government agencies, ABCA is working to support the licensed market while being responsive to public concerns."

During the recent closure operation on B Street SE, MPD officers seized 20 pounds of marijuana and 600 grams of THC wax, as well as dangerous weapons, including a 9mm rifle, a 12-gauge shotgun, and 114 rounds of ammunition. Three individuals were arrested in connection with the operation. Since joint agency efforts began, the Cannabis Enforcement Task Force has removed a significant amount of untested and unregulated products and illegal firearms from illegal cannabis shops:

• Marijuana: 709.89 pounds 
• THC Edibles: 6,304.6 pounds 
• THC Vape Cartridges & Pens: 540.47 pounds (combined total of cartridges, pens, and pods) 
• THC Oils, Resin, and Concentrate: 216.85 pounds 
• THC Wax: 73.28 pounds 
• THC Lotion: 3.329 pounds 
• Entheogenic Fungi (Mushrooms & Edibles): 144.46 pounds 
• Illegal Firearms Seized: 12 
• Arrests: 56 

"MPD will continue doing everything we can to make our communities safer, and we are committed to working with our partners to identify and shut down businesses harming our communities," said Interim Chief of Police Jeffery W. Carroll. "We've recovered 12 firearms in the first 100 closures. We know that these locations, and those operating them, can be drivers of gun violence, increasing the urgency to shut them down."

The District's closure operations are part of ongoing enforcement efforts following the enactment of the Medical Cannabis Conditional License and Unlicensed Establishment Closure Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2024, which granted ABCA new civil enforcement powers to protect public safety and the District's regulated medical cannabis market.

The public can continue to support enforcement efforts by reporting suspected illegal cannabis businesses online at abca.dc.gov/service/complaint. Submissions can be made anonymously.

The Bowser Administration has invested deeply in public safety, with strong results over the past two years: violent crime decreased in 2025 by 29%, including a 32% reduction in homicides over the past year and a 53% reduction over the past two years. And the District's homicide closure rate increased to 85%, the highest closure rate in 13 years. Mayor Bowser's FY26 Budget dedicated $343 million to provide a 13% pay increase for police officers, a $30 million increase for MPD to hire more officers and purchase crime fighting technology and equipment, and $1.3 million to raise salaries of 911 and 311 call takers and for call taker recruitment and retention bonuses. And the Mayor is "running through the tape" throughout 2026, remaining focused on keeping DC safe and secure and ensuring the city continues to be a great place to live, work, and raise a family.

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