There has been a gray area in the law surrounding marijuana sales in Washington, D.C. ever since voters passed a bill allowing residents and businesses to gift marijuana.
In July, the D.C. Council passed a bill clarifying the law, and the district is cracking down on stores that authorities say sell marijuana illegally. As the crackdown continued, police said other illegal drugs were found in some shuttered and padlocked stores.
“We recovered a large quantity of marijuana as well as mushrooms suspected to be heroin in one case,” said Chief of Police Jeffrey Carroll.
“We've had a few locations, almost all of them in fact, have marijuana laced with amphetamines, so that's a common thing that we're seeing,” Carroll said. spoke.
This can harm buyers who visit illegally operating stores.
“These places are kind of at risk because people may not know they're going to an unlicensed facility or they may think they're getting regulated cannabis. And now, you know, they're laced with amphetamines without even realizing it,” Carroll said.
Although there are several legally operating medical marijuana dispensaries in Washington, D.C., it is illegal to sell recreational marijuana. Congressional Republicans blocked the district from regulating recreational sales.
However, recreational marijuana use is legal in D.C., and a doctor's recommendation is not required for D.C. residents to purchase marijuana at a medical dispensary.
In July, the D.C. Council passed legislation authorizing a crackdown on illegal stores and a licensing process for illegal stores.
Cannabis is legally grown, tested and sold within the District, following a careful scientific process. News4's Tommy McFly went behind the scenes at Green Theory, the district's first gift shop to convert into a true medical pharmacy.
City Councilman Charles Allen told News4 there are more than 100 illegal marijuana stores operating in the district.
“D.C. has done a lot of work to create a path for businesses to get licenses and get into the legal framework,” said Ward 6 City Councilman Allen. “And that's been happening for the last year and a half, two years. But we need to crack down on businesses that want to continue operating illegally without a license.”
The Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Authority (ABCA) has issued cease-and-desist letters to businesses warning them they must comply with D.C. law or risk closure.
Since July 15, when new enforcement began, 26 cease and desist orders have been issued and five facilities have been closed by D.C. police and ABCA.
A further 25 facilities were closed due to other types of enforcement, such as by the Ministry of Health.
“I think the message is being sent pretty loud and clear here that if you continue to be illegal, if you continue to be unlicensed, the ABCA and the city are going to come after you,” Allen said.
Police arrested three people in connection with the closure of illegal stores.
