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A RESOLUTION
26-218
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
October 7, 2025
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 extend the expiration dates of
conditional licenses for medical cannabis cultivation centers, retailers, internet retailers,
manufacturers, couriers, and testing laboratories for an additional year.
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
resolution may be cited as the “Medical Cannabis Conditional Licensure Extension Emergency
Declaration Resolution of 2025”.
Sec. 2. (a) As of September 10, 2025, the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis
Administration (“ABCA”) and Metropolitan Police Department had summarily closed and
padlocked 71 unlicensed cannabis establishments. These summary closures resulted in record-
breaking sales increases for the legal medical cannabis market with over $5.4 million in retail
sales to medical cannabis patients during the month of April 2025.
(b) Since January 1, 2024, the number of operating licensed medical cannabis retailers
has increased from 7 to 64, helping address this increased demand.
(c) As of September 10, 2025, there were 8 operating cultivation centers, as well as 10
cultivation centers approved to operate that ABCA anticipates are likely to open in the near
future. Nevertheless, to address the inventory needs of new retailers and to discourage
participation in the illegal market where the legal market cannot meet demand, there is a need for
an increased supply of legal medical cannabis and medical cannabis products.
(d) As of September 10, 2025, there are approximately 51 conditional cultivation center
license applicants attempting to convert their licenses into permanent cultivation center licenses,
which would help to alleviate the current limited availability of certain medical cannabis
products. However, several of the conditional licenses have begun to expire.
(e) Proposed emergency legislation making conditional licenses issued by ABCA valid
for an additional year, for up to a total of 3 years, would facilitate an increase in the supply of
legal medical cannabis and medical cannabis products.
(f) It is also important to extend the conditional licenses for medical cannabis
manufacturers, retailers, internet retailers, couriers, and testing laboratories on an expedited basis
because these licenses are currently expiring. ABCA has received feedback from applicants that
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the requirement to open and operate within the current term of the licenses is too difficult due to
challenges businesses face raising capital, finding an appropriate facility for their business, and
addressing other challenges related to opening the business including hiring staff and building
out their facility. As a result, an extension of the term of the licenses is necessary to ensure that
license holders have sufficient time to raise capital, find an appropriate location, and open their
business. The extension further encourages applicants to remain and participate in the District’s
legal medical cannabis market because licenses may only be applied for when made available by
the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Board.
(g) Proposed emergency legislation would be applied retroactively as of June 28, 2025,
which is the first day conditional licenses began expiring. This retroactive applicability date will
ensure that all licenses impacted by expiration benefit from the legislation and have their licenses
reactivated.
Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia determines that the circumstances
enumerated in section 2 constitute emergency circumstances making it necessary that the
Medical Cannabis Conditional Licensure Extension Emergency Amendment Act of 2025 be
adopted after a single reading.
Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.