The Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) and Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) shut down the 13th alleged illegal cannabis business in Washington, D.C last week.
On Nov. 14, authorities executed a Closure Order on Trippy Wizard, located at 1755 S Street, NW. The business was operating without a valid license and had repeatedly defied a Cease and Desist Order, according to ABCA.
During the closure, authorities discovered a significant amount of illegal products, including cannabis, mushrooms, edibles, and THC vape cartridges. Authorities confiscated over seven lbs of cannabis, more than seven lbs of mushrooms, over a pound of mushroom edibles and 400g of THC vapes.
This joint enforcement effort is part of the ongoing crackdown on unlicensed cannabis businesses in the city. Since July 15, when the Medical Cannabis Conditional License and Unlicensed Establishment Closure Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2024 took effect, authorities have shuttered 13 illegal operations. However the ABCA press release did not mention the newly passed Bill 25-581 which increased ABCA’s power to shutdown gifting shops more efficiently.
ABCA has been issued over 35 Cease and Desist Orders and 93 warning letters to unlicensed businesses since March. Property owners of these establishments may face civil and criminal penalties if they fail to take immediate action to stop illegal cannabis activity. However, the agency has still not issued a single $10,000 landlord fine and the pace of closures has slowed significantly this month despite the passing of Bill 25-581.
