Category: Washington, D.C.

The District of Columbia has filed supplemental authority in an ongoing lawsuit over its cannabis licensing framework, pointing to a recent Ninth Circuit decision that found the dormant Commerce Clause does not apply to cannabis markets due to federal prohibition under the Controlled Substances Act. The cited case upheld residency-based licensing rules in Washington State…

D.C. regulators and police closed three unlicensed cannabis businesses in late March 2026, seizing cannabis, THC products, and firearms and making three arrests under expanded enforcement authority.

Mayor Muriel Bowser has introduced legislation that would allow D.C. breweries to collaborate with cannabis businesses to produce THC-infused beverages for sale through the medical cannabis system, as industry stakeholders cite pressure from neighboring adult-use states.

The Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Board approved an Offer-in-Compromise resolving enforcement actions against Flowerz, LLC, resulting in a $3,000 fine, permanent vacating of its D.C. premises, and strict conditions placed on the property owner regarding future cannabis-related activity.

Eight civil cases filed by the Alliance of Legal Cannabis Entities‑DC, LLC (ALCE) against unlicensed cannabis dispensaries and property owners in D.C. will now proceed under a consolidated briefing schedule. The court’s move aims to streamline early litigation, allowing a single motion to dismiss to address overlapping legal questions while keeping individual defendants’ issues separate.

The D.C. cannabis board adopted a third emergency rule extending temporary medical cannabis patient cards from 30 to 90 days and removing the passport photo requirement, citing a sharp increase in patient applications that has slowed processing times.

The D.C. Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Board has proposed a rule that would prorate first-year licensing fees for medical cannabis facilities based on the time remaining in the license year. The proposal would reduce costs for businesses receiving licenses late in the year and provide credits to some licensees who previously paid full annual fees…

Blossomz, one of Washington, D.C.’s few licensed medical cannabis cultivation facilities, was closed Feb. 27 by the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration and the Metropolitan Police Department. While ABCA has not released a public closure report or statement, a police document shows officers seized numerous boxes and bins containing cannabis flower and prerolls. The report…

The District of Columbia Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Board has issued a 30-day suspension to Doobie District after determining the retailer sold medical cannabis to non-qualified individuals and entered false information into METRC. Investigators conducted two undercover purchases in May 2025 without being asked for patient identification. The Board sustained violations related to improper dispensing…

The Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Board has finalized new medical cannabis advertising and signage regulations, bringing permanent clarity to rules first introduced through emergency legislation in 2024. The amendments limit exterior medical cannabis signage to 10 square feet (excluding trade names), cap window signage at 25% of window space, prohibit cannabis-related signs on entry and…

ABCA and MPD closed an unlicensed cannabis retailer in Northwest D.C., seizing multiple cannabis products and arresting one individual. The action marks the 101st illegal cannabis business shut down since the District expanded enforcement authority under a 2024 emergency law.