Axios D.C.

April 02, 2026
Thursday!
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Today's newsletter is 1,012 words — a 4-minute read.
1 big thing: Exclusive: D.C. eyes locally made cannabis drinks
D.C. could soon open the door to cannabis-infused, alcohol-free drinks under a new bill from Mayor Bowser that would let local breweries and distilleries team up with medical marijuana producers.
Why it matters: The bill connects two big trends — people drinking less and using more cannabis — opening new doors for businesses and consumers.
Driving the news: Bowser introduced the measure Thursday, creating a legal pathway for cannabis-infused, nonalcoholic beverages.
- Breweries and distilleries could partner with licensed cannabis manufacturers.
- They'd need new license endorsements to produce the drinks.
Yes, but: You won't find these at your local bar.
- The proposal limits sales to licensed dispensaries — no sales at breweries/distilleries, restaurants or grocery stores.
- Like for other marijuana products in D.C., buyers would have to be registered for medical marijuana.
The intrigue: The bill tries to solve a practical problem — cannabis companies often lack bottling and large-scale beverage production capacity.
- D.C.'s craft beverage industry already has that infrastructure, and the legislation essentially connects the dots.
Zoom in: D.C.'s once-booming craft alcohol scene has cooled. One reason: producers say younger consumers are drinking less — or swapping booze for bud.
- A wave of distilleries closed last year, while many breweries have already pivoted to seltzers and nonalcoholic options.
- Cannabis drinks could be the next evolution: Meet consumers where they are.
Between the lines: Bowser in her last term is bullish on boosting local beverage producers.
- Another recent proposal, the D.C. Hospitality Act, would allow more flexibility like distillery collaborations, new brewpubs, and increase the variety of D.C.-made products — malt beverages, alcohol-infused sweets — to be sold.
The big picture: Cannabis beverages are having a moment nationwide — but the rules are all over the map.
- Drinks containing THC — the "fun" ingredient in marijuana — are restricted to dispensaries in 24 states where pot is legal, according to Reuters. D.C. could join them.
- Meanwhile, low-dose hemp THC drinks are popping up everywhere — from gas stations to grocery stores — as beer sales slide and big alcohol companies look to capitalize.
What's next: The legislation heads to the D.C. Council for review.
2. Trump's ballroom battle wages on
A federal judge may have halted the ballroom construction on White House grounds, but Trump's loyalists are still expected to greenlight the project's imposing design today.
Why it matters: The construction pause isn't stopping architectural review.
State of play: The National Capital Planning Commission, a federal panel chaired by a top White House official, is expected to give final approval to Trump's controversial massive ballroom addition, which would rise roughly the same height as the White House itself.
- The vote will go on because the judge's order "does not enjoin the planning process related to NCPC's meeting," commission spokesperson Stephen Staudigl told Axios.
- U.S. District Judge Richard Leon on Tuesday declared that Trump is not the "owner" of the White House.
- Construction of the 90,000-square-foot addition "must stop until Congress authorizes its completion," Judge Leon added.
Between the lines: It's notable that the NCPC is about to give its blessing.
- That Trump lacked the NCPC's approval before beginning construction was a central argument in the lawsuit filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in December.
- The Trump administration ultimately filed plans with the NCPC in early January, after demolishing the East Wing in October. NCPC officials have previously said they don't have a say over demolitions.
What we're watching: How NCPC chairman Will Scharf — Trump's former personal lawyer — will address the elephant in the room before the vote.
What's ahead: Judge Leon believes the case will be settled by the U.S. Supreme Court, per the NY Times.
3. Around the Beltway: 🚓 "Soft on crime"
🚨Yesterday, the D.C. Council unanimously overrode Mayor Muriel Bowser's veto to require police to document federal officers' presence at arrests, aiming to boost transparency amid increased federal activity. Lawmakers also delayed a vote on extending a youth curfew policy — prompting the Mayor to call the legislators "soft on crime." (Washington Post)
Longtime adversaries Donald Trump and José Andrés both made appearances at the Supreme Court's birthright citizenship hearing yesterday — Trump being the first sitting President to attend oral arguments in the high court. Andrés gave a passionate speech outside promoting immigrants.
🍕All-Purpose has closed its Navy Yard location. Restaurant reps tell Axios they've sold the ballpark-adjacent space to new owners in order to focus on their pizzerias in Shaw and Bethesda, and DMV growth (a new Aventino is coming to Dulles this fall).
4. 🪩 New vibe unlocked
If being enveloped in a 15-ton "Fluffy Cloud" sounds like a 2026 vibe, you're in luck.
Driving the news: A Burning Man–born orb of sound and light lands at Berhta this week, promising a 360-degree experience akin to "swimming through sound."
Why it matters: It's escapism in a way the Polymarket pop-up could never achieve.
The vibe: Coachella meets NASA — part art installation, part wellness, part nightclub fever dream.
Choose your adventure: The installation, through April 12, has programming for everyone:
- A holistic "sound bath"
- An all-ages sensory journey
- Concerts with secret lineups
- A "Psychotic Jukebox" experience where you control the AUX (Lord help us)
The bottom line: It's weird. It's loud. You'll probably end up going.
5. Virginia is for Easter grass lovers

OK, Virginia, we know you like to "stand out" by calling yourself a "commonwealth" and holding elections on odd years — but do you really need to get weird with the Easter candy?
Driving the news: DoorDash analyzed which Easter treats over-index by state — and Haribo Sour Easter Grass dominates the Old Dominion (and two other outliers, Hawaii and Delaware).
The big picture: Reese's is the national MVP, with Peanut Butter Bunnies popular across the country.
😝 The bottom line: At least Virginia isn't wild for carrot candy corn.
🐟 Anna is making gefilte fish from scratch (first time, wish her luck!)
Mimi is on parental leave.
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Today's newsletter was edited by Mike Szvetitz
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