Policy & Legalization

Mayor Signs DC's Temporary Cannabis Licensing Act as the Emergency Version Runs Out Oct. 28

By DCWeedHub Newsroom · Published

DC temporary cannabis licensing act signed

Mayor Signs DC's Temporary Cannabis Licensing Act as the Emergency Version Runs Out Oct. 28

Short answer: On October 21, 2026, Mayor Muriel Bowser signed the Medical Cannabis Licensing and Unlicensed Establishment Enforcement Clarification Temporary Amendment Act of 2026 (Bill 26-760), which became Act A26-0448. It carries forward the rules in the emergency version, D.C. Act 26-391, which stops having effect on October 28, 2026. A temporary act doesn't take effect when the Mayor signs it, though. It has to sit before Congress for a 30-day review period first, so the new act and the expiring one may not line up exactly.

What was signed

The Council's bill record shows the timeline (LegiScan, B26-0760, sourced from the Council's LIMS record):

Date (2026) Step
Jul 13 Chairman Phil Mendelson introduces the temporary bill alongside the emergency bill
Jul 14 First reading
Jul 30 The emergency version is signed and takes effect as Act 26-391, through Oct. 28 (ABCA)
Sep 22 Temporary bill passes final reading, 12–0 with one absent
Oct 6 Sent to the Mayor
Oct 21 Signed by the Mayor and enacted as A26-0448
Oct 28 Emergency Act 26-391 expires (DC Code § 7-1671.06 note)

What the law covers

According to the emergency act's text, which the temporary act continues on a temporary basis, the package:

  • lets a conditional licensee convert to a standard license with a zoning certificate instead of a certificate of occupancy;
  • extends conditional licenses for cultivation centers, retailers, internet retailers, manufacturers, couriers and testing labs by an additional year;
  • clarifies distance rules between stores and schools or recreation centers;
  • widens the definition of an unlicensed establishment to include businesses selling Schedule I substances, and allows enforcement against unlicensed businesses even if they have an application pending;
  • lets summary closures continue as long as an imminent danger persists; and
  • lets ABCA and MPD act against a licensed cannabis business that engages in certain unlawful activity.

Source: D.C. Act 26-391.

ABCA's own summary called the zoning-certificate change "the most significant" for conditional licensees, because it lets applicants who've found a site but haven't finished construction keep moving through licensing (ABCA, Aug. 31, 2026).

Why there may be a gap

Under DC's Home Rule Act, Council acts take effect only after a 30-day congressional review period, and those 30 days count only days when Congress is in session, not weekends, holidays or long recesses (D.C. Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)). Temporary legislation usually lasts 225 days once it takes effect.

So the open questions are:

  • When A26-0448 is sent to Congress: UNKNOWN as of Oct. 26.
  • When its review period ends and it takes effect: UNKNOWN. Counting 30 session days from a late-October transmittal almost certainly runs past Oct. 28 (ESTIMATE: 30 counted days can't fit in the 7 calendar days between signing-plus-transmittal and Oct. 28).
  • Whether the Council passes a separate bridging emergency to cover the days in between: none found in public records as of Oct. 26 (UNKNOWN).

DCWeedHub hasn't found ABCA guidance on how it will treat zoning-certificate conversions or conditional-license deadlines during any gap. Licensees with questions can contact ABCA at ABCA.CannabisLicensing@dc.gov, the address ABCA lists for licensing questions.

What it means for shoppers

Nothing changes at the counter. DC's market is still medical-only, and you buy from ABCA-licensed stores. The enforcement pieces of this law are aimed at unlicensed shops, which is one more reason to check that a store is licensed before you go.

Register first. Any adult can self-certify at a licensed store or online through ABCA before visiting. Start your DC medical registration, then see where you can buy today.

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Sources