Washington D.C – An unlicensed cannabis dispensary was shut down on Friday in Northwest D.C., resulting in charges against the store owner, as reported by the Alcohol Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA).
Officials from the ABCA and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) issued a closure order to the owner of Green Cloud Shop, located in the 700 block of Kennedy Street, Northwest.
Authorities stated that the business continued selling cannabis products without a valid license, despite receiving a written warning and a Cease and Desist order.
Due to concerns for public health and safety, the store was closed and the doors were padlocked, according to ABCA.
During the shutdown, MPD officers observed illegal marijuana products openly displayed inside the unauthorized weed shop, officials noted.
The store owner, 49-year-old Abdelhak Hamsasse, was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana and operating a business after license revocation.
This event occurred one week after another unlicensed cannabis dispensary, Supreme Terpene, was shut down, leading to the arrest and charging of two women.
The ABCA has announced that it has issued 23 Cease and Desist orders and 79 written warnings to unlicensed cannabis dispensaries that did not apply for a medical cannabis business license during the application period.
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