Dear Medical Cannabis Dispensaries:

We hope that you and your loved ones continue to be resilient and healthy.  As of May 17, 2020, the “Shelter in Place” Order is in effect until it is extended, rescinded, superseded, or amended in writing by the Health Officer.  Thank you in advance for continuing to observe the Order.  The Office of Cannabis (OOC) continues to operate under reduced capacity with some staff working remotely and some staff being summoned to serve as Disaster Service Workers.  For our most recent newsletter, click here; to receive ongoing updates, sign-up here.

Updates below:

• Orders and a Directive of the Health Officer
  • Order No. C19-07d (most recent Order) provides guidance to businesses broadly including Social Distancing Protocols.
  • Order No. C19-08b provides cannabis-specific guidance including the encouragement of delivery.
  • Directive No. 2020-06 discusses best practices for conducting deliveries such as social distancing and sanitation measures.
  • Prior targeted guidance can be found here and here. 

• Free COVID-19 Testing for Essential Workers
  • As a reminder, essential workers serving the San Francisco community can get tested at any time and at no cost. 
  • Navigate here to schedule a test.

• Cannabis-Specific State Resources
  • As of May 14, 2020, the three state cannabis licensing authorities announced that businesses with state commercial cannabis licenses expiring between then and the end of June 30, 2020 may request 60-day deferrals of their license fee payment.  Licensees must submit a written request for regulatory relief to be considered for a license fee deferral, steps include:
    1. Submit a complete renewal application to the Bureau.
    2. Complete the Bureau Notification and Request Form (Form 27), Section A, and note the details of your specific request in the comments section.
    3. Email your completed Bureau Notification and Request Form to BCC@dca.ca.gov. This request must be submitted by an owner of the business, who is currently listed on the license record.
  • As discussed in the OOC’s recent webinar with Treasurer Ma, the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) is offering immediate interest-free payment plans for qualifying small businesses. 
    • Press Release
    • CDTFA Offices
  • As of May 19, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-65-20.  Of particular relevance, item #5 discusses that medical marijuana identification cards “that would otherwise have expired between March 4, 2020 and any day within 60 days from the date of this Order shall remain valid [until July 18, 2020].”  Please feel free to circulate this recent development to those who may benefit from this extension.

• San Francisco Planning Department
  • The Planning Department is open for business during the “Shelter in Place” Order. Most of the Planning staff are working from home and available by e-mail. Planning’s Public Portal, where you can file new applications, and the Property Information Map are available 24/7. The Planning and Historic Preservation Commissions are convening remotely and the public is encouraged to participate.
  • The Planning Department recently updated their Guide to Cannabis Permitting.  This is a thoughtful and informative resource which many of our Applicants will enjoy.  To obtain this resource navigate here and select “General Planning Information Handout.”

The City’s response to COVID-19 is ongoing and the OOC will continue to stay in touch with its stakeholders.  Please direct your inquires to officeofcannabis@sfgov.org.

Sincerely,

San Francisco Office of Cannabis

If progress continues on reducing the spread of COVID-19, the City anticipates allowing some businesses to do storefront pickup as soon as Monday, May 18thSan Francisco, CA — Mayor London N. Breed and the Director of Health Dr. Grant Colfax today announced that San Francisco plans to allow some businesses to resume operating, with modifications. As long San Francisco continues making progress on reducing the spread of COVID-19, the City anticipates allowing some businesses to resume operations with storefront pickup as soon as Monday, May 18th. Retailers such as bookstores, florists, and music stores will be the first stores allowed to operate storefront pickup. This follows today’s announcement by Governor Newsom regarding modified statewide guidelines that allow certain retailers to begin curbside pickup as soon as tomorrow, May 8th.
San Francisco will issue details on this phased business reopening next week. Key requirements of the current Health Order remain in place, including requirements to stay home except for essential needs and certain permitted activities, including outdoor businesses and activities. Additionally, San Franciscans must continue to follow social distance requirements and wear face coverings when waiting in line for pickup or inside of businesses.
“We have been hard at work to find ways to reopen more businesses and activities safely and responsibly,” said Mayor Breed. “Giving businesses the option to reopen and provide storefront pickup will provide some relief for everyone in our city—allowing some people to get back to work, while still protecting public health. The last thing we want is to see a spike in the number of cases or hospitalizations, so we’re going to be keeping close track of our key COVID-19 indicators and will be ready to make any adjustment needed to keep our community healthy.”
“San Franciscans have done a tremendous job to flatten the curve and protect community health,” said Dr. Colfax. “We will continue to study the indicators that tell us how the coronavirus is affecting our communities and amend the health orders as warranted in the best interest of community health. We share the urgency to reopen and restore our economies and our normal activities, and the equal importance of doing so in a way that is safe, responsible and does not erode the progress we have made together.”
“Our residents and businesses have made tremendous sacrifices for the greater health and safety of our community,” said Joaquín Torres, Director of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development. “As we reopen, the focus has to be on doing so smartly. We’re all anxious to get back to work and restart our economy, but the right way to do this for now is in phases. We can’t jeopardize all the sacrifices and progress San Francisco has made by rushing in too far, too fast. We want to reopen, and stay open.”
The categories of businesses that would be eligible to operate storefront pickup were determined in collaboration with business leaders, and based on state and local public health guidance and may be expanded over the coming weeks as conditions allow. This announcement builds on the April 29th extension of the Stay Home Order, which allows additional businesses, including construction and outdoor businesses, to resume safely, with health and safety precautions in place.
As long as San Francisco continues making progress on reducing the spread of COVID-19, consistent with the amended State Order, the first round of businesses that will be allowed to operate with storefront pickup as soon as May 18th include:

• Bookstores,
• Florists,
• Music and record stores,
• Hobby, toy, and game stores,
• Home furnishings and home goods,
• Cosmetics and beauty supply,
• Arts supplies stores,
• Musical instrument and supplies stores,
• Sewing, needlework, and piece goods stores.

The Department of Public Health (DPH) will be developing guidelines for businesses that are consistent with the statewide guidelines. The San Francisco Health Officer will continually review whether modifications to the Order are justified and will adjust the Order as needed.
The Office of Economic and Workforce Development will be working closely with DPH and the Economic Recovery Task Force to develop best practices for facilitating safe pickups at these businesses. As guidelines become available, the City will post the information on the SF.gov website in addition to partnering with business stakeholders to distribute in multiple languages. Businesses will also be able to call 3-1-1 or the Small Business hotline at 415-554-6134 for more information.
The coronavirus pandemic is still ongoing. San Francisco communities will be dealing with it for a long time to come. The City expects outbreaks to continue, especially among vulnerable populations. That is why the City is building strong systems to protect our communities into the future. DPH will continue to watch the indicators with regard to sufficient testing, contact tracing and personal protective equipment. DPH will monitor new cases, hospitalizations and the health care system’s capacity to handle a surge of patients. The City will continue to work with community and business leaders to accomplish careful, measured progress and move forward to further reopening.
“Providing the option for curbside and storefront pick-up is a great and responsible step to re-opening our local economy and supporting our neighborhood businesses,” said Rodney Fong, President and CEO of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. “These new guidelines will keep our merchant corridors active, while also establishing important public health protocols to keep our residents safe. The entire San Francisco business community appreciates Mayor London Breed’s leadership and thoughtfulness throughout this crisis.”

Well, the holidays have come and gone, and if you're still feeling a bit hungover, you might be partaking in Dry January, the annual campaign where people abstain from alcohol for the month of January.

So, we had to ask...Cannabis vs. Alcohol: Which One is Better for You?  Here we present both sides of the debate so you can decide for yourself:


OverdoseIn most cases, drinking alcohol is not life-threatening. However, when people consume too much alcohol, it can be fatal. The CDC reports that nearly 88,000 alcohol-related deaths occur each year. And binge drinking accounted for about half of these deaths.
In comparison, the number of deaths caused by cannabis is almost zero. A study found that a fatal dose of TCH, the potent chemical in cannabis, would be between 15 and 70 grams. To give you an idea of how much cannabis that is, consider that a typical joint contains about half a gram of cannabis. That means that you would have to smoke between 238 and 1,113 joints in a day to overdose. That’s a lot of joints.


Crime RatesWhen it comes to what substance will put someone at risk for getting hurt or hurting others, alcohol is considered to cause the most harm.
A study on cannabis use and domestic violence found that couples who used cannabis had lower rates of violence in the first 9 years of marriage. In fact, men who used cannabis were the least likely to commit an act of violence against a spouse.


Learning and MemoryWhen you drink heavily it can impair your ability to create new memories. Over 50% of frequent binge drinkers reported at least one time in the past year when they blacked out and forgot where they were or what they did when they were drinking.

Along the lines of memory, recent studies have shown that adolescents who smoke cannabis may be at greater risk for problems with memory and learning later in life. The studies remain inconclusive about how much cannabis use causes impairments of learning and memory.

Conclusion 

So the question remains, cannabis or alcohol? What side are you on? Perhaps we can shift our thinking and instead of taking sides, we can all agree that both alcohol and cannabis have their risks. The overall take-home message may be to be smart and stay safe when choosing to consume either substance!  Check out our San Francisco Dispensary Menu for all our products.

At Flower to the People, we love giving back and participating in a great cause.  So we're excited to be a part of Giving Tuesday!
Giving Tuesday was created in 2012 with simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good.

Over the past seven years, this idea has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.

Here is a list of some of our favorite organizations we're supporting this year: 

***Huckleberry Youth Services - This non profit got hit hard this year. During the summer, a fire took out their administration offices in the Richmond District and they've been doing their best to get back on their feet. This year they paired up and are part of a dollar for dollar match program. Let's help them, exceed their goal!  CLICK HERE for more information!

***PRC SF (Positive Resource Center San Francisco) - The PRC advocates and provides some of the most vulnerable members of SF's community resources (the services are for all who have been diagnosed as HIV+ or with AIDS but include those who do not identify as LGBTQ+). CLICK HERE for more information!
​
If you want to place on order...use our San Francisco Dispensary Menu!

Know of a charity that's doing great things?  Let us know!

San Francisco Cannabis Dispensary
Flower to the People
70 2nd Street 
San Francisco, CA 94105

Rebel Coast "wine" derives from Sonoma-grown grapes cultivated in the Carneros region on an active vineyard. The grape extract is fermented in the same steel tanks as its traditional alcoholic counterpart, Reckless Love, which is sold in 36 states. Rebel Coast, however, contains less than half a percent of alcohol, which is what the BCC allows for cannabis products.

The Rebel Coast Cannabis Wine lot is centrifuged (machine that spins super fast) to remove the alcohol, which also happens to separate our the natural terpenes that exist from grape growth and fermentation. Different varietals produce different sets of terpenes, just like cannabis plants! The wine terpenes are then added back into the beverage, which is what gives the Rosé its indica-typical effect terps, and the Sauvage (sauvignon blanc) its sativa typical.

The Rebel Coast is then infused with a special type of THC distillate that acts as though it's water soluble, absorbing through the mucous membrane and stomach lining so that the cannabinoids don't have to pass through the liver to take effect. Rebel Coast is great for a fast-acting, shorter-lasting effect emulating a glass of wine rather than a traditional cannabis beverage. Typical onset is 15m and duration only 2-3 hours!

You can fit it at our San Francisco Cannabis Dispensary.  We currently offer two varieties - "sauvignon blanc" and "rosé" and will soon be offering sparkling options (think champagne!) Shelf life of the bottle is 2 years corked and stored outside (or inside) the fridge. Once uncorked, the RC has about a week shelf-life, so drink up!

Each bottle contains 40mg and has dosing lines on the back of the bottle (10mg THC/glass, 4 glasses/bottle).

MUST SERVE CHILLED! ROSE AND WHITE WINE ARE MEANT TO BE CONSUMED COLD!

SF Dispensary Downtown
70 2nd Street
San Francisco, CA 94105

San Francisco Cannabis Dispensary
Flower to the People
70 2nd Street
San Francisco, CA 94105