The Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) and Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) recently shut down an illegal cannabis shop in D.C. called “Peace in the Air.” The shop was closed under a Closure Order after defying a Cease and Desist Order. It was deemed a public health and safety risk, and its doors were padlocked.
In this gallery, we take a closer look at the closing.
Owner Darel Dawson claimed the shop had already been closed for weeks and criticized the licensing process, saying it did not benefit small business owners. Dawson said, “They banged out a door to an empty building. If my stuff was still in there, and we were operating a business out of love, I would feel extremely violated.”
Dawson stated, “To our knowledge, we weren’t doing anything illegally until we were given a warning.”
ABCA has closed 14 illegal cannabis shops this year, issued over 35 Cease and Desist Orders, and sent more than 95 warning letters under new enforcement powers.
Dawson said, “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.”
The crackdown aims to regulate cannabis sales and protect public safety, but critics have argued it may unfairly impact small businesses navigating licensing challenges.
Dawson added, “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.”