Authorities in the District of Columbia invited cameras to roll during this week’s closures of unlicensed cannabis stores. Fox5 DC recorded as police confiscated alleged cannabis items and arrested a women who was later not named in the press release despite Fox showing her face.
A write in to PoPville said the woman arrested was “a neighborhood gem.”
The Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) closed and padlocked Orbit DC on 18th Street NW, marking the 50th such closure.
Interestingly enough Orbit was part of the National Hip-Hop Museum and the Maryland Office of Social Equity posted a promotion for the dispensary over a month ago despite being unlicensed shops.
The article on patch.com promoted the unlicensed dispensary as one of three owned by the National Hip-Hop Museum as a way the non-profit funds itself.
The other two shops Lifted Lounge and Lifted Shop were not raided or listed in the press release. Lifted Shop is a medically licensed dispensary that transitioned from an unlicensed shop. However, they are not listed as open on the ABCA website, meaning they likely did not make the Mar. 31 deadline to open.
The 50 closures, occurring across the city with a concentration in Wards 1, 2 and 6, have resulted in the recovery of significant quantities of illegal and untested cannabis products, as well as over 80 pounds of entheogenic mushrooms and numerous firearms from nine locations. To date, authorities have seized hundreds of pounds of cannabis and various other illicit substances.
The increased enforcement, authorized by legislation enacted in July 2024, has also prompted an additional 20 illegal shops to cease operations voluntarily, often due to property owners terminating leases to avoid potential $10,000 fines, according to the ABCA press release.
However, a recent City Paper investigation found that lapses in efficiency and consistency in enforcement have hampered the agencies efforts.
This crackdown coincides with a the District’s legal medical cannabis market growing in sales. There was a recent record of over $3.6 million in March 2025.
ABCA Director Fred Moosally attributed this success to the growth of the licensed medical cannabis program, ensuring patient access to safe products. The number of licensed retailers has increased significantly, along with a surge in registered patients, including non-residents from 40 jurisdictions, according to the press release.
“Our joint efforts send a message loud and clear to anyone operating an unlicensed business like this in our city,” stated Metropolitan Police Assistant Chief Jeff Kopp in the press release, emphasizing the commitment to enforcing cannabis laws.