Will A Dispensary Benefit our Neighborhood?

The Good Neighbor Policy requires proposed cannabis dispensary owners to notify their neighbors within a 300 foot radius of the proposed site. The Gold Mirror owners, Roberto & Domenico DeGrande, hand delivered this paper notice to their neighbors on Saturday, Nov. 19th, 2022, leaving it on doorsteps and front porches.

We'd like to take the time to analyze this notice, and identify inconsistencies and contradictions in the owners' arguments for why they believe a cannabis dispensary is justified on the 2nd floor of the Gold Mirror Restaurant.

Gold Mirror Owners in blue font. FOPSWP in red font.  

1) Due to staffing issues, we had to scale back our hours of operation and use of our mezzanine.

The masking and social distancing requirements from the pandemic are quickly vanishing. Why not hire staff and advertise the mezzanine for its intended purpose of holding banquets, private parties, etc.? There is clearly a demand and need for this type of service again.

2) To activate the underutilized area and to keep the restaurant financially viable, we would like to convert the mezzanine to an enclosed second floor with its own entrance on 18th Ave.

How is the restaurant not financially viable? You added two parklets (one on the sidewalk and another in the street) during Covid and now that indoor dining has been reinstated, you claim you have underutilized space. If that's the case, then why don't you remove the parklets to free up valuable parking spots for your neighbors and your restaurant?

And won’t the dispensary scare away conservative customers who do not like to use cannabis? FOPSWP has collected over 1,000 signatures that oppose the dispensary and most of the surrounding residences and businesses are against it.

3) A well-run retail cannabis business, which measures less than 1,000 sq ft will benefit the neighborhood as well as our business.

We understand how the dispensary will make money for the Gold Mirror owners, but it is unclear how it will benefit the neighborhood. Again, most of the businesses and residences that are within 300 feet of the proposed site oppose it. The reason is mostly children go to these businesses  and the presence of the dispensary will deter parents from bringing them.

4) The Fig & Thistle Wine Bar and Fig & Thistle Apothecary is an example of a successful restaurant plus cannabis business on Gough and Ivy. It has brought more safety and vibrancy to the neighborhood.

The Fig & Thistle is located in a very different demographic area that is mostly adults and adult-oriented businesses, and is not child-centric like the 18th & Taraval corridor. The Gold Mirror owners are comparing apples to oranges. What works at Gough & Ivy will not necessarily work at 18th & Taraval.

5) A community ambassador will be required by law to check for ID at the front entrance of the dispensary. Children will not be admitted  nor will they be able to see any of the products which will be sealed in child-proof packaging.

A “community ambassador” is a euphemism for a low-wage security worker. The Safeway next door to the Gold Mirror also employs a so-called "community ambassador" who is stationed at the front entrance of the store, but Safeway remains a target for shoplifters, double parking, loitering, trash, etc.

6) The ambassador will become a part of the fabric of the neighborhood and will: 1) maintain premises and adjacent sidewalk in good condition at all times, 2) advise patrons that double-parking is prohibited, 3) prevent individuals from loitering, 4) discourage littering, 5) discourage smoking of cannabis within 50 feet of any public entrance or exit, and 6) direct patrons to leave the establishment in an orderly fashion.

How will this happen? Based on what evidence? If the security guard is stationed on the sidewalk entrance on 18th Ave, then his or her view of the street will be blocked by the parklets. How will he or she check IDs and manage traffic, loiterers, litterers, etc., all at the same time?

7) We will also add to the safety of the area by: 1) providing outside lighting that illuminates the outside street and sidewalk areas, 2) provide ventilation system to prevent noxious or offensive odors from escaping the premises, and 3) maintaining the premises and adjacent sidewalk in good condition at all times. 

What do you mean by "adding to the safety of the area?" Your partner, The Fig & Thistle, is selling products such as Sundae School and gummies, fruit chews, and chocolates, all clearly aimed at youngsters. Do you have plans to do the same, since you are in an area heavily populated with teens and children? Do you expect parents to feel safe around such a retail establishment? 

If you'll recall, not too long ago, the SF vape company, JUUL, was sued for hundreds of millions of dollars for marketing its candy-flavored tobacco products to minors. So why is the Fig & Thistle given a free pass by city officials to virtually do the same thing? Why the double standard? 

In short, the Gold Mirror owners are proposing to open a dispensary on the 2nd floor of their restaurant for their financial gain and convenience, with little or no regard to the neighboring residences and businesses, who are very much against it.

The Fig & Thistle dispensary may be successful at Gough & Ivy because this area is composed primarily of adults who buy cannabis. But mostly children and teenagers frequent the businesses at the area of 18th & Taraval and so the customer makeup is entirely different. 

Lastly, Prop 64, which decriminalized cannabis in 2016, had the unintended effect of igniting an illegal weed boom. The State of California and the legal growers did not expect this. In fact, the illegal growers are undercutting and outselling the legal dispensaries at such an alarming rate, that just last month, Gov. Newsom was forced to create a “Unified Cannabis Enforcement Task Force,” or UCETF,  to take aggressive action to crack down on illegal cannabis operations – allegedly protecting communities and consumers throughout California and the U.S. from unregulated and potentially harmful cannabis products.

But what is really happening behind the scenes is the State of California is trying to protect its financial interests by blocking the competition and keeping all profits from the sale of cannabis to itself. In other words, it doesn't really care about our communities. It cares about making money. We all know this.  If local politicians, such as District 7 Supervisor Melgar, cared about the safety and well-being of their constituents, then why would they allow the Gold Mirror owners to propose a dispensary in a child-friendly area like 18th & Taraval?

(By the way, we approached Supervisor Melgar's office for comment. She refused to give any.)

You be the judge. Please let us know your comments below.

Please sign our online petition