Last week, the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) shut down two businesses for illegal cannabis sales.
The Closure Orders were executed at Best Smoke Shop and Quality 01 Convenience Store, both unlicensed retailers, due to activities that posed an imminent danger to public health and safety.
The operation was 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 88 illegal cannabis businesses.
Seizure Details
Best Smoke Shop (5417 Georgia Avenue NW)
- Marijuana: 13.1 Ounces
- THC Edibles: 319 Grams
- THC Vape Cartridges: 119.7 Grams
- Arrest: Forty-one-year-old Ala-A Sarsaur of Falls Church, VA
Quality 01 Convenience Store (2922 ½ Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE)
- Pre-rolled Marijuana Cigarettes: 15.9 Ounces
- Arrest: Thirty-three-year-old Merwit Yhdego of Northwest Washington
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].