Authorities in Washington, D.C., have launched a widening crackdown on unlicensed cannabis operators.
The warnings to nearly 60 unlicensed marijuana stores follow new powers granted to the city’s Alcohol Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA), The Well News reported.
It’s not the first time authorities in the district have tried to wrestle with unlicensed sales.
Cannabis use and possession is legal in Washington, D.C., but federal lawmakers have repeatedly interfered in the city’s efforts to regulate adult-use sales and cultivation.
In that void, a large illicit market has appeared.
So-called “gifting” stores, where a customer purchases a token item and receives “free” cannabis, have proliferated in the district for years.
In June, the District of Columbia City Council passed a resolution that empowered the ABCA to padlock unlicensed businesses selling cannabis and to conduct surprise inspections.
Heading into the Fourth of July weekend, district regulators mailed formal cease-and-desist letters to four unlicensed marijuana stores and sent warnings to another 55 illicit businesses, an ABCA spokesperson told The Well News.
H/T: mjbizdaily.com
