The SF Board of Supervisors advanced a measure Tuesday as part of a new state law allowing eligible cannabis dispensaries with lounges to serve food and non-alcoholic beverages, much like cafes in Amsterdam, which will be up for a final vote next Tuesday.
The ordinance, introduced by Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, would implement a state law authored by Assemblymember Matt Haney allowing licensed dispensaries with onsite consumption lounges to serve food and non-alcoholic beverages, while also hosting live music, comedy, and other entertainment, as NBC Bay Area reports. The Board of Supervisors approved the measure on a 7-4 first vote Tuesday, with a final vote expected next week.
As SFist reported previously, state law AB 1775 took effect in January 2025 with several cafes opening in Southern California, but none have yet to open in the Bay Area, which Haney found surprising at the time.
“People want to be able to consume cannabis with friends,” Haney told Bay Area News Group. “They should be able to do it while having a sandwich and tea.”
Haney, who represents the eastern side of San Francisco, also said the expanded business model could help struggling dispensaries while making San Francisco more of a destination for cannabis tourism. Supervisor Mandelman echoed the sentiment Tuesday.
"Amsterdam does a lot of tourism business and has a lot of benefits from having the cannabis cafes," Mandelman said, per NBC Bay Area. "San Francisco is not Amsterdam; there may be elements of that that we're going to see out here, and again, that could be part of our recovery."
There are some notable differences between the two cities. Amsterdam’s cannabis cafes are the only places the drug can be purchased and consumed, as it remains illegal but decriminalized there. Visitors at the cafes are advised to eat sugary treats before, during, or after consumption to help counter potential drops in blood sugar that can contribute to fatigue, nausea, and vomiting — a practical reason for serving food alongside cannabis.
Some local dispensaries are already preparing for the measure’s approval. Hyrba CEO William Dolan told NBC Bay Area he plans to open a 1,500-square-foot cannabis cafe at 560 Valencia Street with coffee, light food, entertainment, and educational events as soon as the ordinance receives final approval.
As previously reported, Root'd cannabis lounge in Oakland was striving last year to open the first cannabis cafe in the Bay Area, which doesn’t appear to have happened yet.
According to the SF Examiner, Haney introduced similar legislation in 2023, but Governor Gavin Newsom declined to sign it, urging lawmakers to strengthen workplace protections against secondhand cannabis smoke. The revised bill, AB 1775, requires employers to provide masks to employees who request them and to offer additional training on the health risks associated with secondhand cannabis smoke.
Per NBC Bay Area, the new proposal has drawn opposition from Supervisor Myrna Melgar and public health advocates, who argue it still weakens longstanding workplace protections against secondhand smoke. The American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation, which is also vocally supporting Melgar’s proposed ban on smoking at outdoor bars, warned that employees and performers could be forced to choose "between their health and their paycheck."
Related: Oakland's Root’d Aims to Open the First Cannabis Café In the Bay Area
Image: Moe Greens Dispensary & Lounge/Google Maps
