New Emergency Law Empowers Authorities To Crack Down On Cannabis Gifting Shops In D.C.
The D.C. Council has approved emergency legislation that would allow city officials to penalize unlicensed marijuana gifting shops that do not operate under the city's medical cannabis program. The measure is called the Medical Cannabis Enforcement Emergency Amendment Act of 2024 and was introduced by Councilmember Charles Allen. It received unanimous support from the Council and will take effect when signed by Mayor Muriel Bowser. Cannabis businesses that fail to apply for the medical cannabis program or meet its requirements may face civil enforcement under the new law. Unlicensed shops that "gift" marijuana to customers after they buy other products have been targeted by D.C. officials for years. The legislation empowers the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration to issue warnings, fines, and cease and desist orders to unlicensed businesses, authorizes the confiscation of illegally traded cannabis, and prohibits unlicensed businesses from advertising as "I-71 compliant."
