But for now, D.C. distributors continue operating in the gray areas of Initiative 71. Nikolas Schiller, one of the law’s authors, says the success of those distributors shows the economic opportunities that are possible if Congress lets D.C. establish a regulated marijuana market.

“It’s disappointing that Congress is continuing the prohibition by not letting us move forward,” he says. “They’re denying D.C. residents jobs, they’re denying the D.C. government millions of dollars in tax revenue, and they’re denying a lot of people the opportunity to get into the ground level of an industry that is poised to make billions of dollars for the country.”