Between December 17 and 26, 2025, the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) shut down six businesses for illegal cannabis sales deemed an imminent threat to public health and safety.

Closure Orders were executed at five unlicensed retailers—Benning Market & Dollar Plus, Best Price Liquor, Cloud Liquor, Minnesota Avenue Exxon, and Sheriff Market—as well as one licensed retailer, WVC Wellness.

Additionally, the Board suspended the alcohol licenses for Best Price Liquor, Cloud Liquor, and Sheriff Market pending the outcome of summary suspension and closure hearings.

The operations were part of the city's ongoing enforcement efforts following the enactment of the Medical Cannabis Conditional License and Unlicensed Establishment Closure Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2024, which granted ABCA new civil enforcement powers. Since the bill took effect on July 15, 2024, joint agency efforts have resulted in the padlocking of 99 illegal cannabis businesses.

Seizure and Arrest Details

Benning Market & Dollar Plus (2001 Benning Road NE)

• Marijuana: .2 Ounces
• Twenty-seven-year-old Bini Tsegay of Takoma Park, MD

Best Price Liquor (5579-81 Central Avenue, SE)

• Marijuana: 1.8 Ounces
• Marijuana Edibles: 85 Grams
• Thirty-two-year-old Gurjinder Gill of Haymarket, VA

Cloud Liquor (914 H Street NE)

• Marijuana: 4.3 Ounces
• Twenty-nine-year-old Weldu Araya of Hyattsville, MD

Minnesota Avenue Exxon (4100 Hunt Place NE)

• Marijuana: 3.1 Ounces
• THC Edibles: 3.4 Grams
• THC Resin: 7 Grams
• Fuel pumps deactivated
• Twenty-two-year-old Bealu Gebresilassie of Silver Spring, MD

Sheriff Market (4748 Sheriff Road NE)

• Marijuana: 3.2 Ounces
• Forty-two-year-old Desalegn Kaza of Northeast, DC

WVC Wellness (1412 9th Street NW) 

• Marijuana: 5.5 Pounds 
• Mushrooms: 954 Grams
• Mushroom Edible: 35 Grams
• THC Concentrate: 1 Gram
• THC Edibles: 91.3 Grams
• THC Vape Cartridges: 166 Grams
• THC Resin: 7.5 Grams
• THC Wax: 797.3 Grams
• Forty-nine-year-old Carlos Fields of Oxon Hill, MD

The public can continue to support enforcement efforts by reporting suspected illegal cannabis businesses online at abca.dc.gov/service/complaint. Submissions can be made anonymously. To locate a licensed medical cannabis Retailer, visit abca.dc.gov/service/find-medical-cannabis-retailer. 

Questions regarding: 

• Medical cannabis licensing and enforcement should be directed to ABCA at [email protected]. 
• Illegal product seizure and arrests should be directed to MPD at [email protected].