WASHINGTON - FOX 5 cameras were rolling when D.C. police raided and shut down the 50th illegal cannabis shop in the city Thursday afternoon.
What we know:
Investigators said Orbit D.C. on 18th St. in Northwest D.C. was selling illegal cannabis and psychedelic mushrooms. One side is a dispensary, the other is a Hip-Hop Museum.
"I know we have a large list to work through," said Jeffrey Kopp, MPD Assistant Chief. "Several illegal establishments are operating in our city."
The backstory:
The effort to shut down illegal cannabis stores started last summer, following the passage of a new law by the D.C. Council.
Hundreds of owners have been sent warning letters and cease-and-desist orders, and if they don't comply, they will ultimately be raided and padlocked.
In Thursday's case, police said a 30-year-old woman was taken into custody for the distribution of marijuana.
Officials said over the last several weeks, undercover officers made purchases of illegal cannabis from the shop, which means it wasn't grown at a licensed cultivator in the District. It appears the location does have a legal medical cannabis license.
They also found Schedule 1 mushrooms on site.
According to the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Association (ABCA), there have been 17 owners criminally charged and 50 illegal cannabis shops closed to date.
What they're saying:
Meanwhile, 45 businesses went from being unlicensed to operating in the legal medical cannabis market.
ABCA's director, Fred Moosally, said that April is on track to see the highest medical cannabis retail sales in the program's history, upwards of $4 million.
"The goal here is to have a legal medical cannabis market," Moosally said. "It's not a level playing field; we are considering public health and safety."
He said the move toward the legal market has been effective.
"Patients are coming to these stores and shopping at the legal stores," he added.
FOX 5 was told that many of these investigations begin with neighborhood complaints. D.C. Police and ABCA plan to shut down more than two dozen other illegal shops in the coming months.
Full statement:
The Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration sent FOX 5 a detailed statement Thursday afternoon. Read the full text below:
"Today, April 24, 2025, the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) and Metropolitan Police Department closed and padlocked Orbit DC located at 1919-1921 18th Street NW, marking the District Government’s 50th illegal cannabis shop closure in DC.
Illegal shop closures have taken place across the city: 17 in Ward 1, 10 in Wards 2 and 6, seven in Ward 4, three in Ward 5, and one in Wards 3, 7, and 8 each.
Closures have also recovered illegal and untested drugs from each of the unlicensed businesses and non-registered firearms from nine locations. To date, MPD has seized 529.9 pounds of cannabis, 82.2 pounds of entheogenic mushrooms, 17.4 pounds of mushroom edibles, 25.6 pounds of THC wax, 18 pounds of THC resin, and 43.6 pounds of vape cartridges.
ABCA and MPD’s increased enforcement actions, authorized by legislation in July 2024, have also prompted 20 illegal shops to close on their own volition and/or due to property owners terminating leases to avoid potential fines of $10,000 each.
The closure milestone follows the program’s record sales month in March 2025, with licensed retailers selling $3.675,887 in cannabis products to registered patients, exceeding the previous record from April 2023 by $87,781 and $1,004,778 more than March 2024. Product sales trends in April indicate that a new record may be set.
"ABCA is committed to responsibly growing DC’s medical cannabis program to ensure patients have access to a diverse range of cannabis products that are free from harmful substances", said ABCA Director Fred Moosally. "Our ongoing closure of illegal cannabis shops benefits patients, strengthens the licensed medical cannabis sectors, and improves the overall safety of our neighborhoods."
Sales have been propelled by the licensing and opening of new and online retailers, bringing the count to 56 and two, respectively. There was a 142.5 percent increase in registered DC resident and non-resident patients compared to March 2024, and non-resident patients from 40 jurisdictions could purchase from retailers through reciprocity permissions.
All of DC’s 58 licensed and open medical cannabis internet retailers are listed by ward at abca.dc.gov. DC residents can similarly register for a two-year patient registration for free online and start to purchase immediately upon registering.
"Our joint efforts send a message loud and clear to anyone operating an unlicensed business like this in our city," said Metropolitan Police Assistant Chief Jeff Kopp. "You must comply with the law, or you will be shut down and could face criminal charges."
The public is encouraged to support ABCAs and MPD’s efforts to maintain a safe and healthy medical cannabis market by reporting suspected illegal cannabis shops, product sales, and potential violations using ABCAs’ online form. Submissions can be made anonymously. "
