Canna Art, at 5008 Connecticut Avenue NW
At least one cannabis gifting shop is opening in the neighborhood. Canna Art, which placed its sign above the door at 5008 Connecticut Avenue last November, had an artist adorn the walls inside.
And on March 12th, a sign posted at the former Wells Fargo at 4302 Connecticut indicated a gifting shop called Mr. Green was “Coming Soon.”
The Mr. Green sign, since removed, at 4302 Connecticut Avenue NW.
Less than a week later, the Mr. Green sign was removed. Neither Van Ness Main Street nor ANC 3F had any knowledge of Mr. Green. Roadside Development, the owner of the building, has not responded to our request for information.
Canna Art owner Yared Betsate confirmed in an email to Forest Hills Connection that his business will be a gifting shop. “I will keep you posted on opening date,” he wrote.
How does cannabis “gifting” work? Although DC voters approved the legalization of recreational marijuana in 2014, Congressional budget riders prevent local businesses other than medical cannabis dispensaries from selling it. What these shops do sell – at a big markup – is merchandise such as stickers and t-shirts, or services such as advice and motivational speeches. The cannabis is added to the transaction as a “gift.”
The DC Council and Mayor Muriel Bowser stepped into this regulatory gray area with a law that took effect in March 2023, eliminated a cap on medical cannabis dispensaries, and gave gifting shops the opportunity to apply for a dispensary license from the DC Alcohol, Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA). A 90-day application period for more than 200 existing shops ended on January 29th of this year.
ABCA is also accepting applications from now through April 30th for owners who qualify under “social equity” requirements set by the 2023 law. An additional 60-day application window opens in July for all other retailers.
Giving the law more teeth, the DC Council in January passed an emergency bill introduced by Ward 6 Council member Charles Allen. Gifting shops that do not apply face fines and cease-and-desist orders. Fines can also be levied against a shop’s landlord. A permanent version is working its way through the Council.
Canna Art’s Betsate told Forest Hills Connection that the business is in the process of applying for an ABCA license.
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Patrick says
Hmmm, interesting story about GIFT shops and marijuana…
Holistic Wellness and Gifting in D.C. On the Connecticut Ave N.W. corridor.
Wonder how residents feel about these venues expanding…?
Patrick says
This has serious consequences for many people in the community.
Paul says
Vape shops and cannabis shops unfortunately did not make it onto my top 1,000 list of improvements and amenities I would like to see for Forest Hills.
Sandy McDermin says
I am surprised that the ANC and the Van Ness business community knew nothing about this weed store.
It’s disheartening that the only “gift” stores we can attract in this neighborhood are weed stores, two of them seven blocks from each other according to your article. When I first moved into the Van Ness/Forest Hills neighborhood, we had a kitchen supply store, a Pier One, Ethan Allen, pet supplies stores, Office Depot. A variety. Now, all we have are restaurants and grocery stores …. one that is taking three years to open for some unknown reason! (Why is that?)
There’s no variation in shopping here. I have to go out of the neighborhood and even out of the District to shop for myself and for gifts that are NOT about weed. I go to Kings Street in Alexandria for their great boutiques and to Tysons Mall for gifts, both outside of D.C, Are weed stores all we can attract in a family neighborhood?
Shop local? How do we do that? By a pop up store that pops up once or twice a year?
Secondly, even without these weed stores, I walk out of my apartment building these days and find myself immersed in the smell of weed if not the smoke from corner to corner. A friend of mine who lives in the apartment/condo complex behind the Van Ness Giant says she used to go to sit outside of her condo to get fresh air, but now she can’t. Instead, it’s filled with people smoking weed and so she’s immersed in smoke and the smell of weed. Leaving aside the question of whether weed smoke is worse than cigarette smoke health-wise, but why did we spend decades combating secondhand cigarette smoke to now have to inhale pot smoke and smells? Why? Smoke is smoke to your lungs. There are children playing in these neighborhoods, going to and from schools. Is this the fresh air we want them to absorb?
I am against these stores in these neighborhoods. Put them downtown where most families don’t live. People can still buy these “gifts” without affecting the living spaces of families who don’t want to inhale them.
Ann says
Another missed revenue opportunity for DC. Why gift instead of sales and a big tax, like cigarettes and alcohol? Council could designate the tax to health care, child care financial assistance, etc.