D.C.’s cannabis taskforce shut down an unlicensed cannabis shop operating at 60 Rhode Island Avenue NE, and arrested two individuals following a raid that uncovered a cannabis, cocaine and mushrooms. The Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration’s (ABCA) Enforcement Division, in collaboration with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), executed a closure order on Mar. 3, 2025, padlocking the doors of the unlicensed business.
The ABC Board issued the closure order due to the establishment’s continued operation as an unlicensed cannabis retailer, deeming it a “credible and imminent danger to public health and safety.” During the operation, MPD officers and investigators from the Violent Crime Suppression Division witnessed illegal products, prompting the issuance and execution of a search warrant.
The search yielded over 18 pounds of marijuana, over 10 pounds of mushrooms, more than 150 grams of mushroom edibles, over 42 grams of powdered cocaine, over 340 grams of THC resin and over 120 grams of THC wax, according to the ABCA press release.
Forty-one-year-old Roger Davis III of Fort Washington, Maryland, was arrested and charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of a controlled substance. Forty-one-year-old Demetrius Pate of Southeast D.C., was arrested and charged with distribution of a controlled substance.
These arrests continue a new trend of closures including arrests of owners or employees at unlicensed businesses.
The business owners have the option to request a hearing before the ABC Board. Property owners may also be required to submit a remediation plan to prevent future illegal cannabis sales before access to the property is restored. Additionally, the ABC Board has the authority to impose a $10,000 fine on each property owner, though they have yet to issue this fine to anyone.
This closure marks 34 illegal cannabis business shut down since Bill 25-872, the Medical Cannabis Conditional License and Unlicensed Establishment Closure Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2024, came into effect on July 15, 2024, granting ABCA expanded civil enforcement powers.
ABCA has issued 43 Cease and Desist Orders and 114 written warning letters to illegal cannabis businesses that failed to apply for a medical cannabis business license during the designated application period. Businesses with pending applications filed during that period are exempt from enforcement actions until March 31, 2025.
Property owners where illegal cannabis businesses operate are notified by certified mail that they may face civil and criminal penalties if illegal cannabis activity is not immediately ceased.
