The entrance to Aloha Dispensary will be inside the smoke shop at 528 8th Street, SE.
ANC6B Votes to Support Barracks Row Weed Shop
by Larry Janezich
Posted Sunday, December 14, 2025
Last Tuesday night, ANC6B voted 8 – 1 to support Tobacco King’s application for a medical marijuana license for Aloha Dispensary at 528 8th Street, SE, next to Barracks Row’s Miracle Theater. This happened over the vociferous objections of Commissioner David Sobelsohn in whose single member district the shop resides. There is overwhelming opposition to the shop among Sobelsohn’s constituents.
Earlier in the ANC meeting, Sobelsohn made a motion to continue the existing protest against Aloha which was then pending before the Alcohol Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA). The vote on that motion failed on a 4-4-1 vote. Voting for the motion were Commissioners Pastore (6B05), Ryder (6B08), Hughes (6B09) and Sobelsohn(6B03). Voting against the motion, and to support Tobacco King’s cannabis application, were Commissioners Wolanin (6B01), Sroufe (6B02), Krebs (6B06), and Mareino (6B07). Commissioner Gorman (6B04) abstained. In the following vote to support the application, all commissioners voted for the motion except Sobelsohn. The vote to support the application also contained a provision withdrawing the protest before ABCA.
That support was conditioned on a largely toothless set of operational procedures – contained in a Settlement Agreement – which had been agreed to by Tobacco King.
The prevailing sentiment of the commission was that given ABCA’s prepensity to grant licenses unless there are compelling legal reasons to oppose them – even in the face of strong community opposition – the neighborhood would be better off with any restrictions Tobacco King agreed to rather than having the ABCA board rule against the ANC protest and allow Aloha to open without restriction. This comported with the belief of the ANC’s legal counsel retained to manage the protest. Even the argument that Tobacco King was an alleged “bad actor” having had two of its dispensaries closed for operating without a license in the last six month was not sufficient reason – in the opinion of counsel – to sway a decision against the applicant by ABCA.
The proliferation of legal weed shops has alarmed many residents in the Capitol Hill community. December’s issue of the Hill Rag carries a full page ad placed by “A Better Capitol Hill” protesting a recent ABCA’s ruling that community concerns are “moot” regarding a dispensary proposing to open 250 feet from a day care center. That dispensary appears to be Proper Exotic at 313 8th Street, NE, which ANC 6A and ANC6C have been fighting tooth and mail to oppose via a protest before ABCA. Although the building is zoned for mixed use, it is in close proximity to residences and a day care center and close proximity to other venues providing services for children.
Location of Proper Exotic (at left) at 313 8th Street, NE
On Wednesday night at ANC6C’s monthly meeting, Commissioner Jay Adelstein told the commission that ABCA had dismissed every protestor, including the ANC against Proper Exotic and a letter “not just of protest but of opposition by CM Charles Allen.” Adelstein said afterward that a final ruling by ABCA on Proper Exotic is pending, awaiting a decision on an ANC motion for reconsideration.
Next month, ANC6B will convene a community roundtable of Barracks Row stakeholders to consider ways to restrict further establishment of weed outlets on the street. It appears the city council would have to act to approve new restrictions on the establishment of weed shops.
CAPITOL HILL CORNER 
Mostly accurate, though I wish you had included some of these toothless Tobacco King settlement provisions, such as Tobacco King’s pledge to “discourage” (whatever that means) pot-smoking in the alley behind the smoke shop, or its promise to have an employee to “assist customers.” (It escapes me why we need a business to promise us they’ll “assist customers.”) However, the 2026 roundtable, which I finally got my ANC to support, has not yet been scheduled, so it’s not yet accurate to report that it will happen “[n]ext month.” (That’s optimistic.) Moreover, though I want the roundtable “to consider ways to restrict further establishment of weed outlets” on Barracks Row, the roundtable has as its main object exploring ways to maintain commercial diversity on Barracks Row, a broader topic than just limiting the number of weed outlets. That could be a part, but only a part, of maintaining commercial diversity. And even to include it as part of maintaining commercial diversity will require convincing other ANC 6B commissioners, not all of whom see the proliferation of weed outlets as a problem. If they did, they would not have voted to support a weed outlet run by repeat law violators, right behind a Montessori School, & next door to a theater that regularly bring in families to see kid movies like “Elf.” To quote a former ANC 6B commissioner, the ANC’s vote “reflects an irresponsible and naïve view of both this applicant and the overall effect of a concentration of cannabis dealers in our neighborhood and in particular in the already challenging restaurant row on 8th Street, where the proliferation of dealers will only accelerate closures of high-end restaurants and prevent new venues from opening.”
Why are these dispensaries so consistently successful in overcoming the protests of the communities they “serve”?
What am I missing?
Editor’s Note: It’s because these agencies – like ABCA, Historic Preservation Board, and the Zoning Commission – have to follow the law, and the law makes no provision for response to community sentiments. There have to be sound legal reasons that will stand up in court for an agency to deny a liqor license or a medical marijuana license or a historic preservation or zoning application. The city council could change the law, but such changes can be controversial, especially in the face of DC’s executive branch tendency to give the benefit of the doubt to businesses, developers, and corporations. And passing a law might not be the answer if the city chooses not to enforce it. For example, the Mayor has directed the Director of the Department of Buildings to not enforce city regulations prohibiting corporations from operating businesses out of residential houses. This after neighbors organized and enlisted CM Charles Allen to pressure the DOB to begin enforcing the regulations against the numerous corporations, non-profits, and political organizations which have purchased residential buildings on New Jersey Avenue, SE.
Tobacco King is already selling cannabis products without a license. Why can’t ABCA shut it down now?
Editor’s Note: Because they were initially operating as a gifting shop – presumeably before the city cracked down on gifting shops and began shutting them down – and are being allowed to continue as a dispensary pending approval of their license – a process that was initiated once they applied to ABCA for a license. During their initian application process, one of the owners withdrew the application. The other owner then renewed the application, starting the process all over again.
That’s a bunch of bullfeathers! Lavagna closed in June 2024, and ABCA was granted enforcement action in July 2024. ABCA first closed a gifting store in September 2024. The Tobacco King owners clearly knew what they were doing.
This will be the last nail in the coffin of the failing Barracks Row corridor. I do not expect Aloha (Tobacco King) to abide by any agreements. Until a few years ago the only place where one could buy tobacco products on 8th street was 7/11…now we have smoke shops on every block; weed dispensaries on every block…(which are “medical marijuana” dispensaries, as if… and empty store fronts. All of this steps away from day cares, elementary schools, and other establishments serving kids. Which business would want to open anything on 8th street? it is a sad situation with toothless ANC and subservient city council essentially handing out every argument to the current administration and the congress for the takeover…
I want to commend David Sobelsohn and thank him for his efforts on this issue and all of his efforts in service to his community. We need more ANC commissioners like Mr. Sobelsohn.
And the ABCA and its processes desperately need to be reformed.