Bong and a Blintz? Cannabis Cafe Bill Drops in SF

Smoke and pancake? Bong and a blintz? Dab and a donut?

San Francisco locals and visitors could enjoy a smoke and pancake under a new bill introduced in City Hall this week.

Bill sponsor and Board President Rafael Mandelman said the city’s current eight operating consumption lounges cannot serve any food or drink. “That’s a little bit nuts.”

He said the bill would add to the allure of the city’s one of a kind smoking spots, who are struggling under taxes, regulations, and illicit market competition.

“It should be simple … just basic common sense. It was not.”

Supe. Rafael MAndelman

“We need to support our legal cannabis industry,” he said.

The cannabis cafe bill faces a minimum two-month slog through committees, and the full Board, not all of whom are pro-cannabis. The lengthy bill touches several codes including health, land use and police.

State assemblymember Matt Haney authored a state law that allows local cities and counties to permit food and drink in lounges. He said other cities like Sacramento, San Diego, and West Hollywood have surged ahead of San Francisco.

“It should be entirely common sense,” he said. 

Haney said legal cannabis businesses are struggling. The legal market is shrinking, the illicit market in California is growing. Sales are down 20% from their peak. Taxes hit 40% in some cities like Los Angeles.

“If we don’t innovate and adapt, we risk watching California’s legal continue to collapse.”

He pointed to the city’s history as a leader of medical and adult-use cannabis. The legal industry produces “tremendous value” in terms of jobs and tax revenue.

Sunset District owner Hyrba Will Dolan is developing a cannabis cafe for Valencia St. The bill is a chance to “fully realize my dream,” he said. “I’m incredibly excited about this opportunity.”

Dre ‘Drakari’ Donaldson, an equity owner of California Street Cannabis Co said “I strongly support this bill. It will allow the business to compete in a very challenging market.”

San Francisco has at least 11 operating lounges:

• Apothecarium Castro (edibles-only)
• Union Station in the Mission
• Barbary Coast
• Fig & Thistle
• Marina Greens
• Mission Cannabis Club
• Moe Greens
• Russian Hill Cannabis Club
• SPARC on Polk St. (edibles-only)
• Urbana Geary
• Urbana Mission