Aloha Owner “Unfit” for Medical Cannabis License Per ABCA
by Larry Janezich
Posted July 25, 2026
Aloha and Tobacco King at 539 8th Street, SE
On Wednesday, July 22, DC Alcohol Beverage and Cannabis Administration found Aloha medical weed applicant Saleh Salim “unfit for licensure” for Aloha on Barracks Row.
On May 6, 2026, ABCA issued a Qualifications Hearing Notice and Proposed Order Denying the Application for Saleh Salim. The venue had been operating as a medical weed dispensary during the period its application was pending before ABCA. Aloha occupies the second floor at 539 8th Street SE, above a Tobacco King outlet which is also owned by Salim.
Salim appeared before the Board on June 3, 2026, for the hearing to determine the Applicant’s fitness for licensure.
The Board reviewed “compelling evidence demonstrating that the Applicant is unfit for licensure due to his repeated involvement in the operation of illegal cannabis businesses and the unlawful sale of cannabis” and affirmed a previous denial of the application for a license. The involvement in illegal cannabis businesses refers to three DC venues owned by Salim which were shut down by ABCA.
According to the order issued by ABCA, “The evidence further shows that Mr. Salim has a history of repeatedly operating businesses involved in illegal cannabis operations. In light of this history, the Board is not convinced that this pattern of blatant disregard for the District’s medical cannabis laws and regulations will cease or that the owner at a minimum is fit to supervise a medical cannabis business sufficient to prevent diversion or other illegal activity.”
ABCA further advised Salim that in accordance with this determination he will be prohibited from having additional successive applications considered and that future applications may be summarily denied based on the Board’s findings in this order.
In a related matter, the activities of Aloha owner Saleh Salim are being probed by law enforcement agencies in Fairfax County, Virginia. Salim and his two sons were arrested on March 18, 2026, by the Fairfax County Police Department and charged with conspiracy to distribute marijuana and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Presumably, Tobacco King on the first floor, can continue to operate.
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