D.C. Mayor Signs Medical Cannabis Licensing and Enforcement Bill Into Law
- D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser signed emergency legislation extending conditional medical marijuana licenses from two to three years and enhancing enforcement against unauthorized marijuana businesses.
- The law allows conditional license applicants to submit a zoning certificate instead of a certificate of occupancy for permanent licensing and prohibits conditional license holders from engaging in marijuana activities until permanent authorization.
- The measure expands the definition of unlicensed establishments to include businesses selling Schedule I controlled substances and permits immediate closure of such establishments posing public health or safety risks without prior hearings.
- The Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) gains enhanced powers to enforce regulations, including product testing for THC and Schedule I substances, and shutting down both unlicensed and unlawfully operating licensed establishments.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has signed emergency legislation extending conditional medical marijuana licenses and strengthening enforcement authority against businesses selling marijuana or other controlled substances without authorization.
Bowser signed B26-0759 on July 30, enacting it as Act A26-0391. The Medical Cannabis Licensing and Unlicensed Establishment Enforcement Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2026 is scheduled to expire Oct. 28. The D.C. Council approved the measure unanimously in a 13-0 vote before transmitting it to the mayor.
Introduced by D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, the new law extends conditional licenses for medical marijuana cultivation centers, retailers, internet retailers, manufacturers, couriers and testing laboratories from two years to as long as three years.
A one-year conditional license that was active as of Dec. 17, 2024, and automatically converted into a two-year license will now become a three-year license without additional costs or further approval from the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Board.
The law also allows conditional license applicants to submit a zoning certificate instead of a certificate of occupancy when seeking a permanent license. Conditional license holders remain prohibited from purchasing, possessing, cultivating, manufacturing or selling medical marijuana or other controlled substances until they receive permanent authorization.
Medical marijuana retailers and internet retailers generally cannot operate within 400 feet of a preschool, primary or secondary school or recreation center. Applicants who filed before Dec. 17, 2024, remain subject to a 300-foot restriction, with additional exceptions for certain businesses that applied during the District’s designated application period.
The measure expands the definition of an unlicensed establishment to include businesses that sell or deliver Schedule I controlled substances or products containing those substances. Enforcement actions may be taken even when a business has a license application pending before the board.
The Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) may immediately close and padlock an unlicensed establishment without a prior hearing when inspectors determine that it presents an imminent danger to public health or safety. Closures and product seizures may continue when officials reasonably determine that the danger is likely to recur.
Similar enforcement authority applies to licensed medical marijuana establishments engaged in certain unlawful activities. ABCA investigators are also authorized to test products for THC content and, when supported by probable cause, determine whether other substances contain Schedule I drugs.