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DC cracks down on 'gifting' weed shops in massive sweep

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DC cracks down on 'gifting' weed shops in massive sweep


For years, unlicensed cannabis shops in D.C. operated under the guise of “gifting” marijuana, but in the past six months, officials have shut down 25 for illegal sales and safety violations.

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DC cannabis crackdown

The backstory:

The Office of the Attorney General, in collaboration with the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration and the Metropolitan Police Department, targeted businesses operating outside the law, many of which were found selling cannabis products laced with other narcotics.

“For too long, unlicensed cannabis stores have been illegally selling unregulated, untested products that put District residents’ safety at risk,” AG Schwalb said in a press release. “All so-called ‘gifting shops’ were given ample time to apply for legal medical marijuana licenses, but many failed or refused to do so.”

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Authorities have taken enforcement action against 38 businesses, permanently shutting down a majority while bringing others into compliance. During the investigations, officials seized illegal drugs, weapons, and large sums of cash. 

In one case, an unlicensed retailer was found selling cannabis contaminated with amphetamines and psilocybin. 

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Debate continues in DC over establishment of recreational marijuana market

Another raid led to the recovery of over 35 pounds of cannabis flower, 22 pounds of THC edibles, 6 pounds of psilocybin mushrooms, 2 pounds each of cocaine and methamphetamine, a firearm, and $6,817 in cash. Officers also recovered ten dogs from the property.

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The crackdown follows a 2023 law passed by the D.C. Council expanding the medical cannabis system and providing a legal path for illicit businesses to enter the regulated market. 

Despite these opportunities, many unlicensed operators continued selling cannabis illegally, prompting the District to ramp up enforcement.

Illegal weed shops raided

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Big picture view:

Since July 2024, ABCA has issued cease-and-desist orders to non-compliant businesses. 

The first store to be forcibly closed under the new law, Supreme Terpene, was shut down in September 2024. Since then, enforcement operations have shuttered numerous shops across the city, including Green Cloud Shop, Capitol Budz, and District Smoke Shop. 

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Some locations have reopened as non-cannabis businesses, while others have permanently closed.

Recent closures also highlight continued risks associated with illegal cannabis sales. 

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Officials raided The Green Room in September, marking the fifth closure under the new law’s enforcement.

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Another illegal weed shop busted in DC

Another illegal cannabis shop was shut down and raided on Wednesday, the fifth closure since a new law passed by the D.C. Council has been enforced in recent weeks.

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Then, in November, Peace in the Air, another unlicensed retailer, was forced to close after violating a cease-and-desist order.

ABCA and MPD shut down All the Buzz DC on Georgia Avenue NW in December, citing public health concerns. 

Schwalb emphasized that the District remains committed to holding illegal operators accountable and ensuring that only licensed, regulated businesses sell cannabis products. 

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“We are demonstrating our collective commitment to ensuring that every store selling cannabis products in the District complies with the law and plays by the rules,” he said.

Which DC dispensaries have closed? 

·        Supreme Terpene: 1344 U Street NW

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·        Green Cloud Shop: 706 Kennedy Street NW

·        All American Papers: 504 H Street NE

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·        Farmerz/Stonerz: 3236 Prospect Street NW

·        The Green Room/Flight Pass: 1338 U Street NW

·        In the Cut: 1460 Park Road NW

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·        Capitol Budz: 607 Pennsylvania Avenue SE

·        Coupons R Us: 6234 Georgia Avenue NW

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·        Kaliiva: 1731 Columbia Road NW

·        Peace in the Air: 2118 18th Street NW

·        Promoco LLC: 1813 18th Street NW

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·        CBT LLC: 335 H Street NE

·        LifeLuxee/Cannabis Karma: 825 Upshur Street NW

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·        All the Buzz: 3232 Georgia Avenue NW

·        KAE/Green Department: 2720 Georgia Avenue NW

·        Capital THC: 1123 Pennsylvania Avenue SE

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·        Hidden Gym, LLC: 1508 14th Street NW*

·        Forest Floor: 924 5th Street NW

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·        Pride Smoke Shop: 1502 21st Street NW

·        YouGroGurl: 337 H Street NE

·        VIP Clientele: 3551 Georgia Avenue NW*

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·        Power Night Club: 2335 Bladensburg Road NE*

·        Dreams Smoke Shop: 2335 18th Street NW*

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·        Nomad Smoke Shop: 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE*

·        District Smoke Shop/District Cure: 2626 Georgia Avenue NW** 

* Reopened as a mon-cannabis retailer

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** Licensed facility remains open; unlicensed second floor unit closed

The Source: DC Office of the Attorney General 

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Washington, D.C.Cannabis



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12th Honor Flight Tallahassee returns home from successful trip to Washington D.C.

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12th Honor Flight Tallahassee returns home from successful trip to Washington D.C.


TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Seventy-two veterans took a trip Saturday to our nation’s capital to visit memorials honoring their service in the armed forces.

This year marks the 12th trip to Washington, D.C. for Honor Flight Tallahassee.

Early Saturday morning, veterans and their guardians met to take a charter flight up to D.C.

Throughout the day, veterans were taken to the World War II memorial, as well as the Korean and Vietnam War memorials. The veterans also visited Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

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More Tallahassee news:

The day ended with a wonderful welcome home celebration.

Our Jacob Murphey, Julia Miller, Taylor Viles, and Grace Temple accompanied the veterans, capturing moments from throughout the day.

The team will have live coverage from Washington, D.C. on Monday to share more from the day’s events.

We will continue to have coverage throughout the month of May, leading up to our Honor Flight special on Memorial Day.

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To keep up with the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Nextdoor and X (Twitter).

Have a news tip or see an error? Write to us here. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

Be the first to see all the biggest headlines by downloading the WCTV News app. Click here to get started.

Copyright 2026 WCTV. All rights reserved.





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Storm Team4 Forecast: A chilly, gusty Sunday before a cool start to the week

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Storm Team4 Forecast: A chilly, gusty Sunday before a cool start to the week


4 things to know about the weather:

  1. Chances of rain in the morning
  2. Gusty Sunday
  3. Chilly Monday
  4. Temps will rise again through the work week

Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to check the weather radar on the go.

After a nice and warm Saturday, changes arrive for part two of the weekend.

The first half of your Sunday will have a chance for showers. Winds will pick up with our next system and are expected to gust to about 20-30 mph. Cooler air will settle in, and lows Sunday night fall into the 40s.

Highs temps Monday will reach only into the mid to upper 50s.

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However, temperatures will rise through the week, so you won’t need your jackets every day.

QuickCast

SUNDAY:
Showers, then partly cloudy
Wind: NW 10-15 mph
Gusts @ 30 mph
HIGH: Lower 60s

MONDAY:
Partly cloudy
Wind: NW 10-15 mph
Gusts @ 25 mph
HIGH: Upper 50s

Stay with Storm Team4 for the latest forecast. Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to get severe weather alerts on your phone.



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‘It’s a twilight zone’: Iran war casts deep shadows over IMF gathering in Washington

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‘It’s a twilight zone’: Iran war casts deep shadows over IMF gathering in Washington


The most severe energy shock since the 1970s, the risk of a global recession and households everywhere stomaching a renewed surge in the cost of living – hitting the most vulnerable hardest.

In a sweltering hot Washington DC this week, the message at the International Monetary Fund meetings was chilling: things had been looking up for living standards around the world. But then came the Iran war.

“Some countries are in panic,” said the fund’s managing director, Kristalina Georgieva, addressing the finance ministers and central bank bosses in town for the IMF and World Bank spring meetings. “The sooner it [the Iran war] ends, the better for everybody.”

Such gatherings are not typically used to fight geopolitical battles. “You don’t get people shouting at one another at these things,” one senior figure remarked. But, as a record-breaking April heatwave swept the US capital, no one could ignore the mounting damage from the Iran war.

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Those familiar with the mood over breakfast at a meeting of the G20’s representatives on Thursday, which included Donald Trump’s treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, and the outgoing US Federal Reserve chair, Jerome Powell – said the atmosphere in the room was sombre amid an open exchange of serious views.

“It is such a twilight-zone meeting,” said Mohamed El-Erian, a former IMF deputy managing director who is now chief economic adviser at the Allianz insurance group. “There are several shadows hanging over it: one is the shadow that comes from concern about the global economy as a whole.

“The second is that some countries are going to be particularly hard hit, and it’s mostly countries that very few people are talking about. But the third concern is the adding of insult to injury: the fact that the US, which started a war of choice, is going to be hit, but by a lot less than elsewhere in relative terms.”

Before Thursday’s breakfast, Rachel Reeves had started her day with an early-morning jog. Joined by her counterparts from Spain, Australia and New Zealand for a run down the iconic National Mall, she posted an Instagram selfie with a not-so-subtle dig: “Friends that run together – work together.”

A day earlier, the chancellor had told a CNBC conference that she thought “friends are allowed to disagree on things” as she criticised Trump’s Iran war as a “mistake” and a “folly” that had not made the world safer.

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Rachel Reeves posted this image on Instagram from Washington DC on Thursday with the message: ‘Friends that run together – work together.’ Photograph: Rachel Reeves/Instagram

Speaking at a venue just steps away from the White House, before a one-on-one meeting with Bessent, she said this “fair message” was needed because UK families and businesses were feeling the pain from higher energy prices triggered by the conflict.

Those close to Reeves insist her meeting remained cordial. Britain and the US have significant shared interests in AI, financial services and trade. The chancellor also said the UK government had little time for the Iranian regime.

But with the IMF having warned on Tuesday that the Iran war could risk a global recession – in which Britain would be the biggest G7 casualty – it was clear Reeves had travelled to Washington ready to pick a fight.

“I’m struck by how vocal she has been and the words she used,” said one global financier. “We know the disagreement between Bessent and [European Central Bank president] Christine Lagarde earlier in the year. But that was in private.”

At a cocktail party held at the British ambassador’s residence for hundreds of diplomats and financiers – including the Bank of England’s governor, Andrew Bailey, the chief executive of Barclays, CS Venkatakrishnan, and dozens of senior figures – this transatlantic tension, weeks before King Charles’s US state visit, was a major topic of conversation.

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The other, in the balmy residence gardens, was one of its former occupants, Peter Mandelson, as revelations about the former ambassador’s appointment threatened to further rock the UK government.

Before the war, the agenda for the IMF had been about global cooperation; the adoption of AI, jobs and work to eradicate poverty. Each of those tasks had now been complicated, but not least the task of countries working together.

For many at the meetings, the focus was on forging closer global cooperation without the world’s pre-eminent superpower.

“Everybody is talking about how you hedge against American decisions,” said David Miliband, the former UK foreign secretary, who now runs the International Rescue Committee. “You can’t do without them, because they’re 25% of the global economy. But, in a lot of fora, they’ve pulled out.

“So everyone has to think, how does one structure international cooperation? The old west is not coming back. And so everyone has to figure out how to position themselves for that world.”

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For those gathering in Washington, there was irony in the fact that they were meeting in the halls of institutions founded, under US leadership, to promote global cooperation after the second world war. The whole idea of the Bretton Woods institutions was to avoid the dire economic conditions and warfare of the 1930s and 1940s. Yet this year’s meeting was taking place amid these intertwining problems.

In their conversations about the best economic policy response to the shock of conflict, the economists also knew the real power to make a difference lay two blocks across town from the IMF and the World Bank – behind the security cordons and construction equipment blocking the White House from public view. “It is not clear they can do anything about it,” said El-Erian.

Still, with a booming economy driven by AI – including Anthropic’s powerful Mythos model, the topic of much conversation – most countries cannot afford to completely break off US ties.

“People want to find ways to insulate themselves from the mess. But, on the other hand, they admire the US private sector,” El-Erian said. “The best way I’ve heard it put, is: they want to go long the private sector and short the mess. But it’s almost impossible to do.”





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