Short answer: DC's emergency cannabis licensing law, D.C. Act 26-391, stops having legal effect on October 28, 2026. The Council already voted to replace it: a temporary version, Bill 26-760, passed final reading on September 22 and reached the Mayor on October 6, according to the Council's Legislative Information Management System (LIMS). But a temporary law can't take effect until it clears a 30-day congressional review, and those days only count when Congress is working. On the dates LIMS shows, it can't be in force by Oct. 28. Unless something else bridges that window, expect a gap.
If you're a patient, nothing about how you buy changes. If you hold or are chasing a conditional license, the next three weeks are worth watching closely. We broke down every provision in our July explainer on the emergency act. This piece covers what happens when the clock runs out.
The timeline, from the Council's own record
| Date (2026) | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 13 | Chairman Phil Mendelson introduces three measures together: an emergency declaration resolution (PR 26-779), the emergency bill (B26-759) and a temporary bill (B26-760) | Council weekly legislation, Jul 13–17 |
| Jul 14 | Council passes the emergency bill and gives the temporary bill its first reading | LIMS B26-0759; LIMS B26-0760 |
| Jul 30 | Mayor Muriel Bowser signs the emergency act. It becomes Act 26-391, which LIMS lists as expiring Oct. 28 | LIMS B26-0759; ABCA, Aug 31 |
| Aug 7 | Act published in the DC Register (Vol. 73, p. 011177) | LIMS B26-0759 |
| Sep 22 | Council passes the temporary bill on final reading | LIMS B26-0760 |
| Oct 6 | Temporary bill goes to the Mayor. Response due Oct 21 | LIMS B26-0760 |
| Oct 28 | Emergency act's 90 days run out | Act 26-391, Sec. 4; ABCA |
| After the Mayor acts | Temporary act goes to Congress for a 30-day review. It takes effect only after that | D.C. Code § 1-206.02(c)(1) |
Why there's probably a gap: 90 days vs. 30 counted days
DC has three kinds of law, and they run on different clocks:
| Type | Takes effect | Lasts | Act 26-391 family |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency | When the Mayor signs | Up to 90 days (§ 1-204.12(a)) | Act 26-391, Jul 30 → Oct 28 |
| Temporary | After congressional review | Usually 225 days (§ 1-204.12 editor's note) | B26-760, under mayoral review |
| Permanent | After congressional review | No expiration | None introduced that we could find (see below) |
The catch is the review period. Under § 1-206.02(c)(1), a DC act takes effect after 30 days, but weekends, holidays, and days when neither chamber of Congress is in session because of a recess or adjournment of more than three days don't count. Thirty counted days almost always means more than six weeks on the calendar. The temporary bill didn't reach the Mayor until Oct. 6, so it has no realistic path to taking effect by Oct. 28.
What this means: the Council planned a handoff from emergency to temporary law. On the dates in LIMS, the two laws won't overlap.
What lapses on Oct. 28 if nothing bridges it
Act 26-391 amended DC's medical cannabis law, the Legalization of Marijuana for Medical Treatment Initiative of 1999 (D.C. Code § 7-1671.01 et seq.). When an emergency act expires, its amendments expire too. The provisions on the line:
- Conditional-license length. The act replaced "a 2-year conditional license" with "a conditional license valid for up to 3 years." It also turned one-year licenses that had already become two-year licenses into three-year licenses. ABCA's August release tells licensees that "all conditional licenses expire three (3) years from the date of ABC Board approval." (Background: how DC's cannabis license types and conditional licenses work.)
- Zoning certificate as a substitute. Applicants converting a conditional license can file a zoning certificate or a certificate of occupancy. ABCA called this "the most significant change" because it lets "applicants who have found a location but have not fully completed construction" keep moving.
- School and recreation-center buffers. The act set the 400-foot rule, the 300-foot rule for earlier applicants, and a narrower exception for some applicants from the unlicensed-operator application window.
- Enforcement powers. These cover Schedule I sales by any establishment, summary closure and padlocking of licensed stores that present an imminent danger, closures that last until the danger is abated or longer if it is likely to recur, violation signs, and THC and Schedule I testing.
ABCA has not said publicly how it will treat conditional licenses or pending zoning-certificate filings during a gap. As of our check on the evening of Oct. 13, its newsroom had no release since the August 31 announcement. We won't guess. If you're a conditional licensee, ABCA's licensing desk is ABCA.CannabisLicensing@dc.gov, the contact it gave in August.
Enforcement is the part shoppers will notice
Most of the act is licensing plumbing. The enforcement half shapes the street-level market. ABCA's June 15 release counted 113 illegal cannabis businesses padlocked by ABCA and MPD since the 2024 closure law took effect (ABCA). That's the backdrop to the gifting-shop crackdown. Act 26-391 added Schedule I sales to the list of closable offenses. It also extended summary closures to licensed businesses for the first time.
The temporary bill carries the same provisions, according to its enrolled title in LIMS. So the policy direction isn't in question. What's in question is the timing.
Is a permanent version coming?
Not that we can find yet. The Council's July 13 introductions were the emergency resolution, the emergency bill and the temporary bill. We found no permanent companion bill in the Council's records as of Oct. 13. Temporary laws usually run about 225 days, so a permanent bill would have to move by mid-2027 to avoid a second cliff.
What it means for you
- Patients and caregivers: nothing changes at the counter. The purchase rules on ABCA's patient page aren't part of this act. Buy only from ABCA-licensed retailers. You can check that a DC dispensary is ABCA-licensed, then use the licensed dispensary directory or map of licensed stores. Not registered yet? Register as a patient first.
- Conditional licensees: write down your ABC Board approval date. If you were counting on the third year or a zoning-certificate filing, confirm your status with ABCA in writing before Oct. 28.
- Everyone watching the market: the date to watch is Oct. 21, when the Mayor's response on B26-760 is due. After that comes the date the act goes to Congress. We'll update this page from LIMS when either changes.
Sources
- D.C. Act 26-391, full text: https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/acts/26-391
- DC Council LIMS, B26-0759 (emergency act; A26-0391): https://lims.dccouncil.gov/Legislation/B26-0759 (checked Oct 7, 2026)
- DC Council LIMS, B26-0760 (temporary act): https://lims.dccouncil.gov/Legislation/B26-0760 (re-checked Oct 13, 2026)
- DC Council, legislation introduced week of Jul 13–17, 2026: https://dccouncil.gov/week-7-13-7-17-2026/
- ABCA release, Aug 31, 2026: https://abca.dc.gov/release/mayor-signs-medical-cannabis-licensing-and-unlicensed-establishment-enforcement
- ABCA release, Jun 15, 2026: https://abca.dc.gov/release/abca-mpd-shut-down-illegal-cannabis-operations-across-district
- D.C. Code § 1-204.12: https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/1-204.12
- D.C. Code § 1-206.02: https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/1-206.02
Last updated: October 8, 2026
DCWeedHub is an independent guide to DC's ABCA-licensed cannabis market. We list ABCA-licensed businesses only and aren't affiliated with or endorsed by ABCA or the DC Council. This is general information, not legal advice.