ENROLLED ORIGINAL
A RESOLUTION
25-547
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
June 25, 2024
To declare the existence of an emergency with respect to the need to amend the Legalization of
Marijuana for Medical Treatment Initiative of 1999 to clarify that Alcoholic Beverage
and Cannabis Administration investigators have the authority to conduct announced and
unannounced inspections of unlicensed establishments, to make a conditional license for
a manufacturer or cultivation center valid for two years, to extend existing public-
comment period provisions to all unlicensed establishment registration applications, and
to clarify the criteria to be considered when summarily closing an unlicensed
establishment.
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
resolution may be cited as the “Medical Cannabis Conditional License and Unlicensed
Establishment Closure Clarification Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2024”.
Sec. 2. (a) The first one-year conditional license issued by the Alcoholic Beverage and
Cannabis Board to medical cannabis business manufacturer and cultivation center applicants will
expire on June 28, 2024.
(b) On May 1, 2024, the District’s Zoning Administrator released guidance expanding
where a medical cannabis manufacturer or cultivation center business can locate. It is imperative
that the conditional licensing period be extended from one year to 2 years to provide these
existing medical cannabis business conditional license holders with additional time to find
permitted locations under this new guidance.
(c) There is also a significant need to clarify when and how Alcoholic Beverage and
Cannabis Administration (“ABCA”) may inspect, seize contraband product, and summarily close
unlicensed establishments selling or exchanging cannabis or cannabis products. To respond to
the threat to the health or safety of the public posed by unlicensed establishments, ABCA needs
clear statutory authority to summarily close those businesses and seize any cannabis contraband.
(d) To facilitate this work by ABCA, it is also necessary to clarify in District law that
ABCA investigators possess the statutory authority to conduct announced and unannounced
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 ENROLLED ORIGINAL
inspections of unlicensed establishments and that existing public-comment period provisions
apply to all unlicensed establishment registration applications.
Sec. 3. The Council determines that the circumstances in section 2 constitute emergency
circumstances making it necessary that the Medical Cannabis Conditional License and
Unlicensed Establishment Closure Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2024 be adopted
after a single reading.
Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
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