My wife and I moved not just to the hill, but down to the home we chose because we can walk our daughter to daycare and back every day. That was the key variable to our calculus. Whatever has been said, I can tell you it’s felt impossible to find childcare. Petite Scholars has been a mirage made real for us.
My jaw dropped when my wife told me about this dispensary application. The possibility of this “proper exotic” within talking distance—not shouting distance —from Petite Scholars threatens to crater the thesis of our move to the Hill. I’ll explain why.
I much appreciate the ongoing community dialogue about the proposed Proper Exotic cannabis dispensary in our neighborhood. The neighborhood has seen many voices emerge to express outrage, and it was a welcome sign of the type of community we wanted to see when we moved, despite the least ideal circumstances. At the October 2025 ANC 6A meeting, Commissioner Mike Velasquez asked the applicant, Musa Al‑Najah, whether the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) requires armed security guards. Al‑Najah responded that ABCA does not require armed security (dc-gov.zoom.us). When asked if he plans to hire armed guards, he said he would only do so if absolutely necessary and that he currently sees no reason to employ them (dc-gov.zoom.us)…