Why We Support the Outdoor Cannabis Consumption Proposal

To date, cannabis consumption has been locked out of the ordinary city event permitting open to other industries, encouraging unregulated use and limiting opportunities for Equity Businesses. That’s why we support Supervisor Rafael Mandelman’s recent proposal to allow for legal cannabis sales and consumption at approved and permitted events.

San Francisco’s continued history of legendary public and private events, global reputation as a cultural center, and our proximity to world-class cannabis means that the opportunity for cannabis tourism is enormous. By some estimates, the revenue driven by cannabis tourism will reach approximately $225 million a year, and exposing Equity Businesses to larger markets at these high profile events will help establish strong and stable Equity Cannabis Brands.

Furthermore, cannabis arrests across the city are disproportionately high for people of color, and decriminalizing consumption at events is another step towards closing that gap. More regulated use at events, and fewer cannabis arrests, benefit us all.

In a letter to the SF Examiner, Nicole Elliott, the director of the SF Office of Cannabis director, wrote that, “The lack of existing regulation around events is to the detriment of our common goals; decriminalization, public safety, consumer safety and preventing youth access.”

Elliott is dead right. This proposal is a step in the right direction for consumption policies and we hope it will, in time, grow into a profitable element of the larger San Francisco Cannabis landscape.