Over 35 unlicensed cannabis shops face Mar. 31 deadline for legal open

In 2023, the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration offered unlicensed gifting operators a window to apply to be legal medical cannabis dispensaries. Out of hundreds of shops in the city, a little over 70 applied.

But the ones that applied through ABCA were safe from enforcement against their gifting of cannabis while they transitioned to the legal market. Over the last year, only fourteen unlicensed cannabis dispensaries have successfully transitioned to the legal D.C. market as of Mar. 14, 2025.

Some unlicensed operators who choose to transition were playing a game of profiting from gifting as long as possible before transitioning into the substantially less profitable medical market. But the time to face the music has come. In recently passed legislation, D.C. resolidified the Mar. 31, 2025 deadline for these shops to be officially open.

According to the emergency legislation passed, any unlicensed operator who applied and is not open by the last day of March will face loss of license and closure on April 1, 2025.

There are 19 businesses who are licensed but not yet open, but an additional 15 applicants have yet to receive a license. Those 15 are unlikely to complete the additional opening requirements in time to meet the March deadline. There are only two more ABC Board meetings left this month that could result in licenses for these businesses.

Below is a breakdown of the businesses facing the deadline:

Still Processing

Licensed not open

Open