Washington, D.C., November 14, 2024 — At tonight’s ANC 2G meeting, Commissioner Steven McCarty led a unanimous vote in favor of his resolution urging timely reporting and transparency in the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) complaint system. During the meeting, Commissioner McCarty posed sharp questions to ABCA Director Fred Moosally, highlighting serious concerns about discrepancies in the agency's reporting and its handling of the medical cannabis program and enforcement actions. Read the full resolution here.

Director Moosally acknowledged an October outage in the ABCA complaint system that disrupted operations, yet ABCA’s FOIA officer initially denied any records of such an outage. "This discrepancy reveals an alarming gap in transparency and raises questions about the agency's accountability to the public," said McCarty. He pressed Director Moosally, who committed to following up with his team to clarify the inaccurate FOIA response and confirm the outage’s extent and duration.

Commissioner McCarty raised additional concerns about the medical cannabis program’s limited staffing. "With only one cannabis inspector for the entire district, it’s challenging to ensure effective oversight," McCarty noted. He was pleased to hear that ABCA has posted two new inspector positions, received over 200 applications, and is moving forward with interviews next week. The agency has also budgeted for a fourth cannabis inspector, who they plan to hire soon.

McCarty further questioned ABCA’s enforcement actions against i71 shops, specifically Happy Buds in ANC 2G04. "This establishment continues to operate despite multiple complaints and violations regarding improper trash disposal, rodent abatement, illegal dumping, and parking," he said. Director Moosally responded, sharing his belief that a cease and desist letter had been issued to Happy Buds earlier this week.

The resolution passed tonight also underscores the need for transparency in ABCA’s complaint handling, calling for timely notification and detailed public reporting on service disruptions. This follows McCarty’s July 2024 resolution to align the medical cannabis protest process with the alcoholic beverage license protest process, enabling abutting neighbors to gain standing in protest hearings. Legislation signed by the Mayor yesterday on an emergency basis now grants protest standing to specific groups, including property owners and commercial tenants abutting or directly across from establishments, daycare centers within 400 feet, and any affected ANC. McCarty encouraged residents to reach out to the Mayor’s Office and their Councilmembers to enact this legislation permanently before it expires in February 2025.

"This measure is essential for restoring community trust in ABCA’s operations," McCarty added. "I urge the DC Council to step up their oversight of ABCA and make these transparency requirements a permanent fixture in the law."

The resolution will be delivered to Director Moosally, the DC Council Committee on Business and Economic Development, and the Executive Office of the Mayor. Commissioner McCarty continues to advocate for the integrity of ABCA’s operations and will be monitoring the agency’s response closely.

Resolution Overview:

• Outage Notification: ABCA must inform ANC Commissioners, the Mayor’s Office, and the DC Council of any system outage within 24 hours.
• Detailed Outage Reports: A public summary report on the outage’s impact, cause, and corrective measures is required within seven days.
• Annual Accountability Report: ABCA will compile an annual public report of all complaint system outages for review during the DC Council’s oversight hearings.

For more information please contact Commissioner Steven McCarty at [email protected].