New Weed Regs Affect Hill’s Retail Corridors – ANC6B Committee to Discuss Tuesday Night

Stickies Gift Shop at 1104c Lower Barracks Row across from the Blue Castle.

New Weed Regs Affect Hill’s Retail Corridors – ANC6B Committee to Discuss Tuesday Night

by Larry Janezich

Earlier this year, the Medical Cannabis Amendment Act of 2021 went into effect which allows expansion of the number of medical marijuana outlets in the city.  The move side-steps the 2015 Congressional ban on the sale of recreational weed in the city by lowering the threshold for availability; the law also makes permanent a temporary measure that allows all adults 21 and older to self-certify their medical need for cannabis. 

One of the unintended consequences of the Congressional ban on recreational weed has been the proliferation of illegal “gifting” shops which gift marijuana to purchasers of expensive trivial items, i.e., stickers or tee shirts.  The new law would enable gift shops to apply for medical marijuana licenses which would bring them under jurisdiction of the Alcohol Beverage and Cannabis Administration.  There are currently at least nine gifting shops on Barracks Row or on Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, between 3rd and 11^th Streets, SE, and 20 on the H Street, NE, corridor over in ANC6A and ANC6C. 

Currently, one existing gift shop on Pennsylvania Avenue, SE – No Kids Allowed, at 637B Pennsylvania Avenue, SE – has an application pending before the ANC6B licensing committee.  In addition, one proposed medical marijuana outlet – DC Dash at 727 8th Street, SE – either has or soon will have submitted an application for a medical marijuana license to ANC6B.  So far, these appear to be the only applications on ANC6B’s the horizon, leading some to speculate that those gift shops which are not moving to legitimize their operations are not taking the threat of civil enforcement seriously.

Tuesday night, ANC6B Alcoholic Beverage & Cannabis Committee, chaired by Commissioner Chander Jayaraman, will hold an in-person AND virtual meeting at 7:00pm to discuss how the changes in the law will affect the retail marijuana operations in the ANC’s commercial corridors.  The in-person meeting will be held at 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, 2nd Floor Conference Room.  (Entrance to the building is just to the left of the entrance to Trader Joe’s)

For info on how to join the virtual meeting, go here:  https://anc6b.org/calendar/

The agenda for the meeting includes: 

• A brief presentation on the Cannabis Regulations. 
• A question and answer period for the pubic (Sarah Weniger, ABCA Community Liaison; and a representative of a law firm working in the Cannabis industry.)
• Community comments from residents on how the ANC should handle the applications from the illegal cannabis retailers (often advertised as “Initiative 71 Compliant” stores).
• Consideration of the application from No Kids Allowed for a medical marijuana license. 

The new licensing regulations going into effect will provide greater oversight and regulation of the sale of marijuana and provide that no gift shop can operate within 400 feet of another.  Stepped up civil enforcement against gifting shops will begin next year.