Washington, D.C

Weed shop padlocked in DC, cops close 14th illegal dispensary

Published

1 year ago

November 26, 2024

Weed shop padlocked in DC, cops close 14th illegal dispensary

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WASHINGTON – Authorities have shut down an illegal cannabis business in Northwest D.C., citing it as an imminent threat to public health and safety.

On Nov. 26, the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration’s Enforcement Division, with support from the Metropolitan Police Department, executed a Closure Order at Peace in the Air, located at 2118 18th Street NW.

The first-floor business was operating as an unlicensed cannabis retailer, despite a Cease and Desist Order already in place.

The Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Board issued the Closure Order, leading to the business being shuttered and its doors padlocked. Officials said the drastic measure was necessary given the risks posed by the illegal operation.

The shop’s owner, Darel Dawson, says the business had been closed for weeks prior to the raid.

“They banged out a door to an empty building,” Dawson told FOX 5. “If my stuff was still in there, and we were operating a business out of love, I would feel extremely violated.”

City officials confirmed that Peace in the Air had been issued a Cease and Desist Order for selling cannabis without proper licensing. Dawson admitted his business had been warned but expressed frustration with the regulatory process.

“To our knowledge, we weren’t doing anything illegally until we were given a warning,” Dawson said.

The ABCA stated that Dawson failed to comply with the warning, which led to Tuesday’s operation to secure and padlock the premises.

Dawson defended his decision not to pursue licensing under the new regulations.

“I did not avoid the licensing. But when it was time to be licensed, I declined because I don’t think the system was going to benefit the proprietor at all,” he said.

Peace in the Air sold clothing, music, and art alongside cannabis. Dawson expressed relief that no employees were present during the raid but criticized the city’s approach.

“I feel violated for the people. They have to pay hourly for all those police to be there. I feel for the taxpayers. And the other people doing business in this cannabis realm who will probably get violated,” Dawson added.

Dawson can request a hearing before the ABC Board. However, the property owners may face additional requirements before regaining access, including submitting a remediation plan to prevent future illegal cannabis sales on the premises.

The ABC Board also has the authority to fine property owners $10,000 for noncompliance.

The closure of Peace in the Air marks the 14th illegal cannabis operation padlocked since new enforcement powers were granted under the Medical Cannabis Conditional License and Unlicensed Establishment Closure Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2024.

The law, which took effect on July 15, allows ABCA to take swift action against unlicensed cannabis businesses.

Since the law’s enactment, ABCA has issued 37 Cease and Desist Orders and 96 warning letters to unlicensed operators who failed to apply for a medical cannabis license during the designated application period.

2 illegal weed shops busted in Northwest

Two more illegal marijuana shops have been busted in Northwest, D.C.

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Related Topics:Crime In The Dmv Crime Publicsafety DC Featured news northwest us

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Washington, D.C

New AAPI-led Jaemi Theatre Company launches in DC

Published

6 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

New AAPI-led Jaemi Theatre Company launches in DC

Jaemi Theatre Company, a new AAPI-led theater company based in Washington, DC, officially launches this spring with its inaugural project, BAAL, a staged reading at the 2026 Atlas INTERSECTIONS Festival on Friday, March 6, at 7:30 PM at the Atlas Performing Arts Center.

Jaemi Theatre Company co-founder and playwright Youri Kim

Founded by Artistic Director Youri Kim and Artistic Associate Juyoung Koh, Jaemi Theatre was born out of a recognition that DC, one of the largest theater markets in the United States, had no company dedicated to centering Asian stories or led by Asian artists. The name “Jaemi” comes from a Korean word meaning “fun,” and in its Sino-Korean form, 在美, means both “to live in America” and “to live in beauty.”

“I kept hearing from companies that it was hard to find Asian actors, and I heard it so often that I started to believe it myself,” said Youri Kim. “But through building community with other AAPI theater artists in the area, I realized the talent was always here. What was missing was the infrastructure to connect us. Jaemi is that infrastructure.”

BAAL, an original work written by Youri Kim (not to be confused with Bertolt Brecht’s 1918 play of the same name), is a body horror drama set in a dystopian city where the air is toxic and birth is outlawed. In the city of Baal, citizens are forced into an impossible choice: terminate or sacrifice a family member. The play uses the language of biological mutation and bodily control to examine how systems of power decide who gets to exist and on what terms, questions that resonate deeply within AAPI and immigrant communities navigating structures that seek to define, contain, and assimilate them. The staged reading features a cast of seven and an original sound design.

BAAL plays as a staged reading Friday, March 6, 2026, at 7:30 PM in Lab Theatre II at the Atlas Performing Arts Center (1333 H St NE, Washington, DC). Tickets ($29.75) are available online.

Looking ahead, Jaemi Theatre plans to host a founding party and fundraiser this fall, and will launch an Asian Writer Play Submission program in the second half of 2026. The program will pair playwrights from selected Asian countries with Asian playwrights based in DC for a workshop development process, building a pipeline that connects diasporic voices across borders.

For more information, visit yourikimdirector.com or follow @jaemitheatre on Instagram.

About Jaemi Theatre Company
Jaemi Theatre is a newly formed AAPI-led performance initiative based in Washington, DC, co-founded by Artistic Director Youri Kim and Artistic Associate Juyoung Koh. “Jaemi” is Korean for “fun” and, in its Sino-Korean form, means “to live in America” and “to live in beauty.” The company creates interdisciplinary performance rooted in diasporic imagination and radical storytelling. Jaemi is a home for the unfinished and the unassimilated, where performance holds contradiction without needing to resolve it.

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Washington, D.C

San Francisco Ballet cancels upcoming performances at Kennedy Center

Published

18 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

San Francisco Ballet cancels upcoming performances at Kennedy Center

Sunday, March 1, 2026 6:36AM

SF Ballet cancels upcoming performances at Kennedy Center

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — The San Francisco Ballet board has voted to cancel its upcoming performances at the Kennedy Center.

The company is scheduled for a four-day run in Washington D.C. in May.

Petition urges SF Ballet to cancel Kennedy Center tour stop as company opens 2026 season

Last year, Pres. Donald Trump overhauled the Kennedy Center’s board, including naming himself the chairman.

That led several artists to cancel scheduled performances.

A statement from SF Ballet says the group “looks forward to performing for Washington, D.C. audiences in the future.”

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Washington, D.C

97-year-old World War II veteran honored virtually at home

Published

1 day ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

97-year-old World War II veteran honored virtually at home

At 97, Veteran Harley Wero wasn’t up for a trip to the nation’s capital, so volunteers from the Western North Dakota honor flight brought the trip to him. Wero, his wife Muriel and their daughter Jennifer got to experience Washington, DC, without ever leaving their home.

Web Editor : Sydney Ross

Posted 2026-02-28T15:57:08-0500 – Updated 2026-02-28T15:59:05-0500

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