DC shuts down second marijuana shop for operating without a license

WASHINGTON — D.C. officials have served a closure order to what they say is an unlicensed cannabis business. This comes just days after another business, Supreme Terpene, was also shut down. 

According to the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration’s (ABCA) Enforcement Division, a closure order was served to the owner of Green Cloud Shop on Friday. 

The store, located on Kennedy Street in Northwest, is accused of selling cannabis products without a license, violating a written warning and cease and desist order. 

"Due to the business posing a credible and imminent danger to public health and safety, ABCA shuttered the business, including padlocking the doors," the ABCA said in a news release Friday night. 

D.C. Police joined ABCA and reported that officers saw illegal products in plain sight inside the store. 

After a search warrant was served, officers seized packages of THC products, a bowl containing a green weed-like substance, multiple marijuana plants, and a bag containing a powdery residue which provided a preliminary positive field test for opium.

The owner of Green Cloud, 49-year-old Abdelhak Hamsasse, was arrested and charged with possession with intent to distribute and operate a business after certificate of authority has been revoked. 

Green Cloud is the second business in just days to be closed for operating illegally, ABCA said. 

According to ABCA documents, Supreme Terpene was warned several times since April of 2024 and received a cease-and-desist order, but continued to defy orders. 

In April, a multi-agency Cannabis Enforcement Team conducted an investigation of Supreme Terpene. ABCA documents show the retailer was selling cannabis and a variety of cannabis products, including edible and flower-containing THC. Additionally, the retailer did not have a Basic Business License. 

As of Friday, ABCA says the agency has issued 23 cease and desist orders and 79 written letters to illegal cannabis businesses that did not apply for a medical cannabis business license during the open application period for unlicensed operators.