In a coordinated operation, the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) executed a Closure Order against Temple of the Golden Teacher, an unlicensed business located at 511 Florida Avenue NW. The enforcement action marks the latest in a citywide crackdown on illegal cannabis and psychedelic sales.
The ABC Board issued the Closure Order after determining the business was operating unlawfully and posed an imminent risk to public health and safety. During the search, MPD officers seized less than an ounce of cannabis, along with over a 1lb of psychedelic mushrooms and over 11lbs of mushroom-infused edibles.
Patrick Lober, a 29-year-old resident of Northwest D.C., was arrested and charged with Distribution of a Controlled Substance.
This action is part of a broader campaign launched under the Medical Cannabis Conditional License and Unlicensed Establishment Closure Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2024, which took effect on July 15, 2024. Since then, enforcement teams have shuttered 60 illegal cannabis-related operations throughout the District, according to ABCA.
As D.C.’s legal cannabis market expands under tightened regulations, ABCA and MPD say these enforcement efforts are critical to protecting public safety and leveling the playing field for licensed operators.
