San Francisco Forming Cannabis Oversight Committee

After voters or legislators pass legalization measures, the “fun” has just begun as various state and local regulators will begin to implement necessary and unnecessary rules that govern the cannabis industry. More often than not, regulations will change a few times as mistakes will be made and different political and business agendas collide. To help determine how regulations are working in San Francisco, a committee is forming to help monitor how the new rules and laws are working, as the San Francisco Examiner reported:

The Cannabis Oversight Committee, proposed by Supervisor Sandra Fewer, is intended to examine the work being done by the Office of Cannabis, gauge the effectiveness of existing regulations and make sure those hardest hit by the War of Drugs are benefiting through retail permits and living wage jobs.

***

“We really want to hear on the ground, is it working?” Fewer said. “Does it need amendments? How should we amend this? How should we meet the needs of our equity applicants?”

The committee would have nine voting members and five non-voting members, with representation of labor unions, cannabis business owners, equity applicants and workforce training and medical cannabis patients.

Marijuana Business Daily broke down the goals of the San Francisco Cannabis Oversight Committee:

• Examine the work done by the city’s Office of Cannabis.

• Measure the impact of existing regulations on businesses and communities.

• Make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors and the mayor on regulatory changes.

• Track the permitting process, including how long it takes for companies to receive a business license.

• Ensure the city’s cannabis social equity program creates living wage jobs and approves retail permits for people “hardest hit by the war on drugs.”

Hopefully, city regulators, advocates, and industry participants will find that the Cannabis Oversight Committee addresses any mistakes made and helps keep San Francisco on the forefront of the cannabis industry. Long a leader in cannabis activism, San Francisco has the opportunity to help lead the largest cannabis market in the world towards policies that lift up small businesses and help alleviate some of the harmful consequences of the Drug War.

As the cannabis industry grapples with overly burdensome regulations and how to best lift up mom-and-pops and underprivileged communities decimated by the War on Drugs, San Francisco could provide a roadmap to follow if the Cannabis Oversight Committee works effectively. Only time will tell.

Learn the latest about cannabis regulations in San Francisco, California, and around the globe at the upcoming International Cannabis Business Conference in San Francisco on February 7th-8th, 2019. Don’t miss your opportunity to network with top investors and entrepreneurs. Secure your early-bird tickets by January 18th to save!