Between March 25 and March 31, D.C. regulators and police slapped padlocks on three unlicensed cannabis shops, hauling away boxes of marijuana, THC liquids, vape cartridges and thousands of grams of edibles. Three people ended the week in custody, and officials say the latest sweep is part of a citywide push to shut down illegal retailers they argue are a threat to public health.
Shops targeted and what was seized
According to a press release by the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration, investigators executed Closure Orders at Treehouse DC, Pressure Deliveries and Level Up Smoke & Tobacco Shop during the weeklong operation. Across the three locations, officers seized a combined 27.4 pounds of marijuana, roughly 11,267 grams of THC edibles and about 8,363 grams of THC liquid, along with large quantities of vape cartridges, waxes, resins and other concentrates.
The agency said the latest closures bring the number of padlocked illegal cannabis businesses to 107 since ABCA was granted expanded civil enforcement powers last year.
Three arrests reported
As reported by WJLA, police arrested 33-year-old Patrick Evans of Alexandria, 33-year-old Rashad Davis of Waldorf, Maryland, and 42-year-old Estepahnous Futsum of Northwest Washington in connection with the closures. Local reporting noted that formal charging information was not included in the ABCA notice and that any criminal follow-up is being handled by Metropolitan Police Department investigators.
Why enforcement is stepping up
The sweep follows the Medical Cannabis Conditional License and Unlicensed Establishment Closure Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2024, which gave ABCA explicit civil authority to padlock unlicensed retailers, according to the D.C. Council. Officials say those expanded powers are intended to protect patients from untested products and to support a growing legal medical cannabis market.
From City Hall’s perspective, clearing out unlicensed storefronts removes unfair competition for licensed businesses and cuts down on the risk of contaminated or dangerously mixed products ending up on neighborhood streets.
Legal consequences and how to report
ABCA's release also said officers found one oxycodone pill and two semi-automatic weapons with ammunition at the Level Up location, a discovery that officials say highlights the public-safety concerns tied to some unlicensed stores. The agency urged residents to report suspected illegal cannabis sales through its anonymous complaint portal and noted that MPD is responsible for arrests and any criminal filings.
Officials say enforcement will continue as ABCA and MPD work to steer the market toward licensed medical retailers and away from unregulated storefronts. Patients and other buyers are advised to use retailers listed by ABCA or to register as a patient before purchasing so products have been tested and regulated.
