District of Columbia2025Active

B26-0760

Medical Cannabis Licensing and Enforcement Changes for 2026

Last scannedAug 25, 2026, 4:28 AM

In one sentence

This bill extends conditional licenses for medical cannabis businesses by one year, allows zoning certificates instead of occupancy certificates for permanent applications, clarifies distance rules near schools, defines unlicensed establishments to include those selling Schedule I substances regardless of pending applications, and authorizes enforcement actions against these shops starting April 1, 2025.

Extends conditional licenses for medical cannabis cultivation centers, retailers, internet retailers, manufacturers, couriers, and testing laboratories by one year so they can operate longer while waiting for final approval.
Allows businesses applying for a permanent license to submit a zoning certificate instead of requiring only a full certificate of occupancy at that stage.
Clarifies distance rules stating that new retail shops must be 400 feet away from schools and recreation centers, with exceptions for applicants who applied before December 17, 2024, or where the school entrance is on commercial or industrial land.
Defines an unlicensed establishment as any business selling Schedule I substances without a license, even if they have applied for one but not yet received it.
Authorizes officials to close down unlicensed shops immediately after April 1, 2025, if the shop presents an imminent danger to public safety.

Businesses holding conditional licenses for medical cannabis cultivation, retail, internet sales, manufacturing, delivery, and testing.
Unlicensed businesses that sell Schedule I substances or products containing them in Washington D.C., regardless of whether they have a pending application.
The Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) which issues licenses and enforces rules.
Schools and recreation centers located near proposed or existing cannabis retailers.

The official text provided ends abruptly while describing how long a summary closure and seizure of substances may last.
The bill does not specify when these changes will officially take effect beyond the enforcement start date for unlicensed shops on April 1, 2025.

Plain language

Conditional license: A temporary permit that allows a business to operate while it finishes the steps needed for a permanent license, now extended up to three years in some cases.
Schedule I substance: Controlled substances listed under D.C. law as having no accepted medical use and high potential for abuse.
Summary closure: An immediate shutdown of a business without a prior hearing because it poses an urgent danger to the public, which can continue until that danger is removed.

Official record

Source attached

Medical Cannabis Licensing and Unlicensed Establishment Enforcement Clarification Temporary Amendment Act of 2026

Official activity