The San Francisco, California Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a DIRECTION to allow cannabis cafes, CBS San Francisco reports. The ordinance will allow establishments to also serve food and drink and provide live entertainment.

In a statement after the decision, Board President Rafael Mandelman, the author of the ordinance, called the approval “a real tool” to help the city’s cannabis businesses “compete and grow.”

“Cannabis cafes are part of this city’s recovery, along with our entertainment precincts, neighborhood activation and free concerts, and today’s vote ensures our legal vendors are not left behind.” – Mandelman, in a statement, via CBS San Francisco

San Francisco is the first Bay Area city to give final approval to cannabis cafes after a bill passed by state lawmakers in 2024 that allows localities to allow businesses.

Under the ordinance, cannabis retailers will be allowed to prepare and serve food and non-alcoholic beverages for consumption on their premises. The ordinance also creates a cannabis cafe permit, allowing spaces where cannabis consumption can be offered alongside food, drink and entertainment. Cafes will only be allowed to sell cannabis for on-premise consumption and will have to follow the same health codes and California Retail Food Code standards as other food establishments.

According to the ordinance, smoking will not be allowed and businesses will have to follow certain ventilation and signage rules. There are also ID requirements at the door for patrons.

The measure still requires final approval from Mayor Daniel Lurie.

Ganjapreneur: Providing everyday knowledge since 2014, the leading digital business magazine for cannabis industry professionals. Subscribe to the newsletter to join our community of over 40,000 cannabis entrepreneurs.

San Francisco supervisors have advanced a proposal that would allow existing cannabis lounges to serve food and soft drinks and host live entertainment. NBC Bay Area reports.

The Board of Supervisors approved the ordinance 7-4 on its first reading Tuesday, with a final vote expected next week, according to the report. If passed, the measure would allow the city’s cannabis dispensaries to expand their offerings under a state law authored by Assemblyman Matt Haney (D).

Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who introduced the ordinance in the spring, said the policy could help the city’s licensed cannabis operators develop more sustainable business models while also attracting tourism.

“Amsterdam does a lot of tourist business and has a lot of benefits from cannabis cafes,” Mandelman said, according to the report.

“San Francisco is not Amsterdam; there may be elements of that that we will see here, and again, that may be part of our recovery.”

William Dolan, CEO of Hyrba dispensary in the Sunset District, said the proposal would advance a nearly decade-long plan to open a community cannabis space in the Mission District, where customers could legally consume cannabis while getting food, snacks or coffee.

The ordinance has drawn opposition from public health advocates and some city officials over concerns about indoor smoking. Supervisor Myrna Melgar, who voted against the measure, said the proposal “sets back our public health goals,” while the American Smokers’ Rights Foundation warned that workers and recreationists could face increased exposure to indoor air pollution.

Mandelman said Tuesday’s vote suggests the proposal is likely to pass final reading.

Ganjapreneur: Providing everyday knowledge since 2014, the leading digital business magazine for cannabis industry professionals. Subscribe to the newsletter to join our community of over 40,000 cannabis entrepreneurs.

According to press release from the office of Governor Gavin Newsom.

The operations were conducted by the California Unified Cannabis Task Force (UCETF), which was created by Newsom in 2022 to coordinate state, local and federal enforcement against the illegal cannabis market. During the three-month period, officials seized 63,204 pounds of illegal cannabis worth more than $104 million, destroyed 89,257 cannabis plants, confiscated 17 firearms, seized $220,923 in cash and made 24 arrests. Enforcement actions were involved in 10 counties.

Since the task force’s inception, California officials claimed that operations coordinated by the UCETF have seized and destroyed more than 841,000 pounds of illegal cannabis, including 1.3 million plants. The task force has served more than 750 search warrants in 29 counties, leading to 100 arrests and the seizure of more than $2.8 million in cash and more than 250 firearms.

The largest recent enforcement action took place from May 14 to June 3 in Tulare, Kern and Los Angeles counties. Led by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the operation included 26 search warrants in illegal cannabis areas, where investigators found environmental violations and banned, unregistered or foreign labeled pesticides in or suspected of 13 cultivation areas.

The counties most affected by enforcement during the quarter were Kern, Alameda, Butte, Los Angeles and Stanislaus counties. Officials also cited major operations in Riverside, Los Angeles, Butte and Ventura counties involving illegal cultivation, environmental violations, firearms and suspected organized crime.

Ganjapreneur: Providing everyday knowledge since 2014, the leading digital business magazine for cannabis industry professionals. Subscribe to the newsletter to join our community of over 40,000 cannabis entrepreneurs.