>> good morning. welcome to the rules committee of the san francisco board of supervisors for today, monday, april 19th, '21. i'm joined by supervisor ahsha

safai and supervisor chan. >> clerk: members will be participating in the meeting remotely. committee members will attend the meeting and participate in the meeting as if they were physically present. public comment will be available. comments are offered to speak during public comment period by calling (415) 655-0001. the meeting id is 187 733 9419. then press pound and pound again. when connected, you will hear the meeting discussions but be in listening mode only. when your item of interest

comes up, best practices are to call from a quiet location, speak clearly and slowly and turn down your television or radio. you can also submit public comment to me. if you submit public comment by e-mail, it will be forwarded to the supervisors and will be included as part of the official agenda. that includes my initial comments. >> supervisor peskin: thank you, can you please call the next item? >> clerk: yes. item number one is concerning two members april 27th, 2023, to the sunshine ordinance task force. >> supervisor peskin: okay. colleagues, we have gotten this one on time as both of these seats expire at the end of this month on april 27th. so this is timely.

we have two encumbents for two seats, seats 4 and 11. and, with that, why don't we turn it over to the two applicants and if you will briefly address the committee, we've got, as you heard, some thirty-two applicants for nine seats on the next item. so if you can keep it to 2 minutes a piece, that would be great. i want to appreciate your work on the sunshine ordinance task force. the floor is yours. >> thank you. good morning and thank you to chair peskin, and supervisor mandelman and supervisor chan. thank you for considering my nomination to the northern california chapter of the society of professional journalists to serve the

sunshine ordinance taskforce. just about two months ago, i went through this process. i've worked in the tech industry for about a decade. my first job in this space was with india currents, a bay area company which has been a monthly print publication. a few years ago, i left my job to become a freelance journalist. though i continue to serve on the foundation board and advisory council, being as i am deeply invested in the community publications. in 2015, while add india currents, i met michael hard, the editor of the san francisco

examiner and convinced him to take me on as a columnist writing about issues confronting communities of color in san francisco. i'm also the director of programs for sb media services. i'm sorry. there was some noise there. ethnic media services. a dear friend and mentor and i began to gain tremendous. as part of the gratto i teach a class to columns to san francisco writers of color.

my work is situated almost entirely in the city. what do i bring to the sunshine ordinance task force? i bring enthusiasm, dedication and a service to the city. i bring with me a commitment to ensure and protect public access in meetings by the sunshine ordinance, the brown act and the public california records act. and i bring an experience. if the rules committee and the board of supervisors see fit to approve my nomination to the sunshine ordinance taskforce, thank you for this opportunity. >> supervisor peskin: thank you. why don't we move on to mr. wolf if there are no questions from colleagues. the floor is yours. >> thank you, chair peskin,

supervisors chan and mandelman. i appreciate once again this time for reappointment as we had just done a couple of months ago. >> supervisor peskin: right. >> but i won't keep you -- i'll keep it brief because i know you have a full schedule for today. i appreciate your we have a really great team on the task force now and everything is beginning to get back in motion. >> supervisor peskin: thanks a lot, bruce. like you said, we did just do this a couple of months ago and we too are hitting our pandemic stride on this committee. so thank you for that and thank you for your service. are there any questions from committee members? seeing nobody on the chat which

i have now fixed. thank you. are there any members of the public who would like to testify on item number 1. >> clerk: yes. members of the public should call (415) 655-0001. the meeting id is 187 733 9419 then press pound and pound again. press star to speak to lineup. please wait until the system has indicated you have been unmuted and you may begin your comment. at this time, i believe we have three callers but nobody is in line to speak. actually we have -- there's no one in line to speak. >> supervisor peskin: okay. then public comment is closed, then colleagues, if there's no objection i would like to make a motion to send jaya

padmanabhan for seat 4 with a residency waiver and bruce wolfe to seat 11. seeing no names up in the chat. mr. clerk, can you please call the roll on that motion. >> clerk: yes. on that motion [roll call] the motion passes without objection. >> supervisor peskin: okay. next item, please. >> clerk: next on the agenda is item number two to the cannabis oversight committee. i'd just like to take this opportunity to remind members our applicants today to please turn off your camera and mute your microphone until we call on you to speak. i'm trying to keep your

comments to 2 minutes. thank you very much. >> supervisor peskin: thank you, mr. young. colleagues, in the three months that we've been together or so -- three or so months that we've been together on this committee, i don't think we've seen such overwhelming interest in this case, 32 individuals for 9 seats. let me just start with a little bit of house cleaning the encumbent would like to apply for that seat again. and somehow there was some communication error as to how he did not reapply. but there will be a forthcoming application for that seat which

nobody applied for. every encumbent in the existing seat has reapplied of the 32 individual applicants, you will note that some seven of them would require residency waivers if this committee were to forward them. with that, i thought that what might be helpful and, colleagues, if you will indulge me would be for us to actually start by hearing from the office of cannabis,a, as to where they are in their process in any number of ways ranging from how many permits have been issued, how many equity assets have been approved, thousand things are going with peace agreements and collective bargaining agreements and any other questions we may have.

so if that is okay with you supervisors mandelman and chan, i wanted to turn it over for a quick briefing from the office of cannabis as well as to ask them how the cannabis oversight committee function within the office's work has been going and whether it's been helpful and with the utility of the oversight committee has been. with that, i don't know whether we have ms. rodriguez from the office of cannabis or whether we have mr. law or mr. patell. which one of you are here? >> good morning, chair. this is marcy rodriguez from the office of cannabis. i'm here with my colleagues ray law and cash patell. thank you for having us this morning. >> supervisor peskin: thank you. >> so right now, i think we're just waiting to share our screen or have the authority to do so. once that's done, we can run

through a very brief update answering all the questions you just proposed. >> supervisor peskin: that would be great. mr. clerk, could you please give ms. rodriguez. >> please give that to ray law. he's got the presentation. thank you. >> thank you, chair peskin. and thank you, victor, i just got the function. let me share my screen very quickly. all right. >> thank you. and while ray's getting that situated for everyone, i think there's a square box on the side, ray, to get rid of that. and to your point, chair peskin, thank you for acknowledging the overwhelming interest and i think that shows how effective and supportive the cannabis oversight committee has been to the process for, you know, furthering our -- pardon me,

that's the doorbellment for the work we've been doing for the industry t. very briefly, i just wanted to orient all of us here with this slide. we are a young office. we've been around for just about three years. it was 2018 when we opened our equity application process and the actual application came online. there was overwhelming interest, as you know, and their queue formed for our equity applicants. that q form has gone away. we are still a small, but mighty team of seven. next slide, please. thank you. these are the core functions that we oversee about the cannabis. there are quite a few here, important ones.

certainly equity vrgs. e we permit businesses and events. what kind of events, events like land and we're hoping the pilot program can continue in light of covid, of course, we had to put a pause on all of that. we're hoping october will sort of be back to normal. we will make, we enforce, we will ensure that businesses we have online will continue to be compliant. as well as pushing back with the illicit market. we do our part to limit youth access and exposure. our oversight committee as you know and yule meet cash patell. we do cross department of racial equity work as our office is grounded in equity work and we stood up the first of its kind cannabis grant

program where they supported the state and funding that's coming from the state to support equity in the community. next slide, please. so here is to help orient everyone. tiers one through six. tier one. tier three those who have been federally forced against and forced to shut down their businesses. our existing industry. that would be our legacy operators as well as medical dispensaries. ones who came through our amnesty program. and general applicants is tier six. i'm going to focus on tier one through four for today's presentation. tier one applicants, they have been prioritized. i think was the right one supportive to our community.

certainly, we'll take a little time before we're recovered as far as the office of cannabis is concerned, but definitely an important decision to make on behalf of the city. these are individuals who have decided to support our equity commitment and support businesses providing rent-free commercial space or technical assistance in exchange for their own permit. prioritized because they ceased operation in order to get an earlier priority. our existing industry, these are our medical dispensaries, the operators that have been operating all along as well as our temporary permits, our manufacturers, our distributors, our delivery operators. next slide, please. and, ray. you're on mute, ray. >> sorry.

i was on mute. in order to unmute myself i need to get out of the full screen and i will get back in and move on. all right. thank you, mojz. rodriguez. we have a total of 167 applications 30 of them in the bay which means they are very close to permit issuance, but the pandemic has caused pro visional challenges and secure contractor to do the work. and so, now, we have 14 equity permit issue and the next one system expected to be issued this week and the rest of the applicants are actively engaging with the public parcels across city agency.

so for tier two applications which means two of them are actively engaging with building department of sf now. so for tier 3, that's pre-existing and nonconforming operators. operators and free federally enforce mcds. our office has processed this group of applications, one of which is actively engaging with the permitting process now. so, lastly for tier 4 applications, that includes existing mcds and temporary public holders. for mcds, we have 55 mcds who

are currently operating under the permit and as we just mentioned. besides this group, we also have 75 temporary public holders with 145 cannabis activities from the supply chain side which includes cultivation and manufacturing, so on and so forth. so this slide talks about the cannabis oversight committee. so it's been one year since the first meeting was held on december 9th, 2019, because it took some time for the recoupment and appointment process. these meetings are led by our office, but because our office is a small office, we want to maintain as a mutual party. so we had to identify funding in our budget to contract with a third party vendor, resources

development associate to provide administrative support to this body. this body has 16 members including voting and non-voting members. there are nine voting members of 16 and a membership renewal for voting members are happening right now. and this body has built a great momentum in the cost of last year in terms of providing recommendations on different letters including legislative priorities, compassion programs and shared manufacturing. for technical assistance programs, areas like permit and grant support as well as workforce and business development. this body also provides recommendations on direct grants, eligibility criteria, including ownership stake and ehlingbility determined by individuals, but not businesses. those are the quick highlights of the cannabis oversight

committee and before we conclude this meeting, i just also wanted to mention my colleague cash patell is also on this call. >> supervisor peskin: so let me just ask a host of questions that i referenced earlier and thank you, ms. rodriguez and mr. law, for that high-level update. and i think one of the most important things there is really for all intensive purposes this committee kicked off right before the pandemic and has for all intensive purposes has really only been operational for a year and i say that because while there is as we note to the good vast interest, it's also a very,

it's a young office with an even younger oversight committee and the reason i say that is because i would -- i'm always interested in getting new blood and i think my colleagues would agree with that, but it's also such an infant oversight body that that leans a little bit towards encumbency because it's still getting its feet on the ground. how much enforcement staff do you have. do you have an enforcement backlog? how is that going? >> thank you for that question. i think that's a very important question. as you know we're seven. we have over ten core functions. we are spread pretty thin and enforcement. our focus right now is to ensure we can support our

existing industry, those who are permitted and make sure they're compliant because this is a duel licensure. we want to make sure san francisco shines bright. that said, there is an illicit market that is thriving and we need to do what we can to push back on that. as of now, we take a civil position. in other words, we go by way of our code enforcement. we are not focused on the criminal side wanting to not criminalize this industry. we are short-staffed. we take incidents and calls as they come to us both through 311 and our anonymous process online with our website. we at a later date would love to talk with you if you're interested in hearing more about this. i think it's an important part

of the work that we do to ensure that all of this work continues to thrive and support our city. and be a wonderful opportunity for tourism and other things, we want to make sure we have a safe and robust industry here in san francisco. i know, earlier, you talked about l.p.a. and so all businesses come under compliance under article 16. we are in the process probably by the end of this month to start to process tier 4 which means bringing our medical existing industry through our process, they will be under our per view and they will be required to follow our rules, but there have been some challenges i do believe with respect to the industry. with respect to article 16, everyone is currently compliant. >> supervisor peskin: excellent.

thank you. colleagues, are there any questions for the office of cannabis? and i'm pretty sure my chat button's working thanks to billy. seeing none. why don't we go to our 32 applicants in the order they appear on the agenda and if you can hold to to two minutes each, that's going to be over an hour before we get to public comment. so thank you, ms. rodriguez and mr. law, and seeing neither of my colleagues asking any questions, why don't we start with perry jones. >> hello, can you hear me. >> supervisor peskin: yes, are we can. >> hello, all. i want to thank you for your attention today and thanks to the office of cannabis for all

the work that you've been doing. i would like to introduce myself. my name is perry jones. i'm a san francisco native born and raised. i'm also the owner and c.e.o. of caly hills which is an equity ran company. i have a long history of grass root organizations. working around publications for youth at risk and juvenile justice and reform. i was able to work with juvenile hall by being able to have workshops there. i think i would be a good candidate for this position because i have been able to be outspoken when it comes to equity preservation being impacted by the w.o.d. which is

the war on drugs. and also being the face of showing that it can be done and in a right way thanks to the office of cannabis and this initiative to proposition 64. i've been able to learn this program, it's been two years since identify been in equity. a lot of people probably don't believe in it. it is restorative justice at its finest and definitely a good look for our studio. because it started off pretty slow. i know we have some butches along the road. i myself as a business owner, i can say there are some safeguards that i have in place and i would like to be furthermore apart of that. it's still taboo when it comes to coming up to this platform as post traumatic stress. me, myself personally, i

believe i will be an asset to this committee. i have been involved i've also been outspoken when it comes to legislative aspect of it and also present myself in rules and regulations in order to make this right as far as moving in to the industry. i know we talk about the wholistic market and that's the market that i represent. i would like to be a spokesman for that but also disenfranchised community. the mission community which has been marginalized and red lined. so, again, this is an opportunity and i would give thanks to have this opportunity to be a business owner which i never thought would be possible, but it is possible and i would like to shed that light to those who are in the darkness about this opportunity in making sure that no predatory deals are made. >> supervisor peskin: thank

you, mr. jones. we will move on to ali jamalian for seats 8 and 9. >> good morning, chair peskin, supervisor chan, supervisor mandelman. good morning all. i'm going to keep my intro short. i'm the owner and founder of sunset connect, an sf brand that pays ohmage to community. i've been supplying dispensaries in sf for over a decade and i was directly affected by the war on drugs when i was arrested and charged on parol. this almost got me deported. today, i'm a u.s. citizen and proud to say it changed my life significant. from a basement on sunset to

now a cutting edge facility which is 100% owned by myself. and city hall created together. i've navigated the building and planning department multiple times and industry as well as -- >> supervisor peskin: ali. >> yes? >> supervisor peskin: sorry we lost you there for a second. >> i've navigated the building and planning department multiple times. therefore, i'm able to bridge the gap between industry practices and policies effectively which has also earned me an invitation to work on cannabis tax policies. i kindly ask you to reconsider my appointment as our appointment was short. programs that benefit our communities as evidence with my engagement with city college program. we recently initiated with united players. i would like to continue to be part of building an

all-inclusive in the streets our city's been setting an example in the whole country and i would be honored to be working hand in hand with policy makers. thank you. >> supervisor peskin: thank you. we will move on to cynthia boedihardjo. i'm sure i messed that up. >> great. can you guys hear me? >> yes. we can. >> wonderful. hi, thank you for this opportunity. i'm cynthia boedihardjo. we're still in the process of applying for cannabis retail

permit in the japantown district of san francisco. this space will have an on site consumption lounge that will include an art gallery. given the stigma of cannabis in the asian community, a large part of our york is provided by whole educational experience of the people and help them experience the support and property as a plant. i work closely with all the organizations in japantown to ensure cannabis consumption meets the community guidelines and keeps the neighborhood safe and lively. last year, i was given the opportunity to be apart of the ysment momentum accelerator. having collaborated with these companies. sorry -- hello? during the pandemic, we

launched a brand and partnered with social equity companies to distribute our products to retailers. throughout the past four years, i've seen the logistical marketing companies in this emerge legal cannabis industry and want to be apart of trying to find ways to be the standard across the globe. i opened a community space in the mission district in where we provided art space for dealers and sharing with the public. is that my two minutes. >> supervisor peskin: yeah. thank you. go ahead and wrap up. >> thank you. >> supervisor peskin: we'll move on to christopher callaway

>> good morning everyone. eye i'm chris callaway. i hold my experiences and words will help many of those in the equity community. i'm honored to have received the city's first equity retail permit over in supervisor mandelman's district where the heart of the cannabis movement began. this movement brought me out to california 20 years ago and i consider working in the cannabis industry to be my life's work. i can emphasize deeply with the frustrations many applicants have faced as they navigate the program. i have several equity businesses, but i'm not here to use this as a platform to promote my businesses or brands. i truly believe this program can bring life-changing opportunities to individuals and positively impact communities in the city. the previous and returning

members, i would like to focus on the preservation of the equity, creating meaningful opportunities, lowering cannabis sales and cultivation tax. and when we're all ready to be coughed on again, consumption lounges. i strongly hope you consider me as a seat for this committee. and thank you for your consideration. >> supervisor peskin: thank you. we will move on to william dolan. >> all right. good morning, supervisors. my name is william dolan and it's a pleasure to be here today. i applied for seats 8, 12, 13, and 14 on the committee. i wanted to briefly highlight five key reasons as to why i believe i'm an ideal candidate for a seat on this committee. first, i am an equity applicant

and 16-year resident of san francisco and i'm intimately familiar with the challenge equity applicants have faced and continue to face as we establish businesses in this highly competitive cannabis industry. i also provide technical assistance to other equity applicants and i'm currently working with andrea baker consulting under a contract of san francisco of cannabis to provide technical assistance and guidance to other. i'm also a cannabis business owner, the equity applicant and project sponsor of a cannabis retail project located at 560 valencia street in the mission district which received unanimous approval from the planning commission to conduct all activities including retail. i'm also a licensed attorney and have deep subject matter on the expertise on the state of

california cannabis laws. my professional focus has been cannabis law and regulatory compliance in addition to real estate and land use law, landlord tenant law, employment law, i'm also a licensed real estate broker and have extensive experience working with cannabis clients in san francisco. given that control of real estate is mandatory, it is imperative that a member of the cannabis oversight committee have a deep understanding of our local commercial real estate market and have the ability to relate to the real estate challenges to cannabis entrepreneurs face when opening a cannabis business in our city. i'm also a medical cannabis patient for over 20 years and cannabis has effectively helped me managed my conditions and disability and i can speak directly to the benefit of this plan and how it has allowed me to live a productive life. i am fully committed to

developing a more equitable and just cannabis. i've committed my life and career to this mission and will work hard to encourage others to do the same. as someone who has experienced both

and i've had the privilege of growing my company gold seal from a staff of four to a staff

of 17 all operating out of the bayview. i'm proud to say we have a very diverse staff from all walks of life. many of our staff members have been promoted from within. started as trimmers or on the manufacturing line and are now managers and some of them are even stepping in to executive roles. i believe that i bring a wealth of knowledge about how to actually get a business licensed and operate successfully in san francisco on a nonretail side of the industry and i'm very proud of the work that we were able to do last year in the cannabis oversight committee. i thought we made a great deal of progress and i'm very interested to continue to bring my knowledge and expertise towards that progress. you know, i think one thing that continues to stand out is a report that we receive from the controller's office in regards to how difficult it is

and how competitive the landscape is in san francisco and i think it's critical in order to create an equitable environment for every business that we continue this work with a focus on making sure that everybody can participate in this industry. thank you. >> supervisor peskin: thank you, mr. flynn. next up is jessica cry for seat 10. >> hello. i'm jessica cry. i am reapplying for seat number 10. thank you for having me today. i really enjoyed serving previously and i'm really looking forward to us continuing the work that we've began having to do with the grant recommendations, the plans that we would like to move forward with compassion as well. i have lived in san francisco for over 11 years now living in district 6. i've worked at three different

dispensaries since 2012 in san francisco and after working with my -- at a union shop and learning more with my workers what it was to have a union contract and for us to speak up for ourselves and to unite, i later became a special projects union representative. i was basically trying out for my union is to see if working with cannabis workers is a good fit for me. and in the meantime during our last committee meeting, i was actively organizing city workers and they successfully have union representation for group authentic members. with the oversight committee, i'm looking forward to a future where more workers are getting involved and they're able to uplift their voices and be active in their community because this industry needs them and we also need this industry to do well so we can

continue to see this as a career that we don't have to be shy about or hide in the shadows. we can be proud to say we're cannabis workers and i look forward to them participating more in this oversight committee and really helping to uplift those voices as a union worker representation. >> supervisor peskin: thank you, ms. cry. why don't we move on to cindy de la vega for seat 12. >> is ms. de la vega available,

mr. young? >> clerk: i am checking to see if they are logged in. >> supervisor peskin: if not, we can circle. >> clerk: please move on to the next caller. i will double check. >> supervisor peskin: okay. mr. shawn richard. >> how are you guys doing today? can you hear me? >> supervisor peskin: well. how are you? >> i'm applying for seat 12. thank you for having me. as being the first african american equity administrator ait's an honor to serve on this oversight committee. i have a long standing history in san francisco. born and raised here. fifty-three years. next one actually c.b.b. thank god for that and been doing a lot of work in the community over the last 25 years with my

nonprofit organization. and recently last year learned so much in this cannabis industry. it's been amazing. met so many wonderful people. so many great minds and have really sat down and probably, you know, with some of the best thinkers in this industry to put together a plan that they can help all equity and ensure equity opportunity to, you know, advance in this industry. i just see that, you know, in the coming hears that this industry is going to be the leading industry if not now, in the next year or two to kind of develop people from cultivation, retail, manufacturer, and distribution, and also the bigger picture is branding and one of the things that, you know, i have personal been doing over the last six months having holding workshops and teaching folks not everyone may get a retail, not everyone may get a cultivation or

manufacturer or distribution, but start thinking about your own branding and learn how to brand and i've been teaching classes with that. so i'm very happy to be apart of this oversight committee and hopefully i get reappointed to sit on the seat again. and, if not, i'm sure someone will sit in that seat 12. but i just thank you guys for giving me this opportunity and taking this matter of cannabis to the highest level that it can and a big shout of-out to the o.o.c. who's been really supportive of all equity applicants and melissa and her team have been pushing the line. so, thank you, i'm hoping i get reappointed and i'm sure i will make everybody on this rules committee proud. >> supervisor peskin: thank you, mr. richard. and happy birthday.

>> thank you. >> supervisor peskin: next applicant wyatt lin has withdrawn. is ms. dela vega available, mr. young? >> clerk: i have not seen her. >> supervisor peskin: okay. why don't we move on to brendan hallinan for seats 12, 14, and 16. mr. hallinan. >> sorry about that. >> supervisor peskin: no worries. believe us, we understand. >> okay. good morning, supervisors. thank you for the opportunity to speak. i chose to volunteer as a candidate for this committee because i believe that my extensive real world experiences gained working on the front lines of cannabis

legalization as an attorney, advocate and a small business operator here in san francisco for the past 15 years can add a new and helpful perspective to the implementation of the adult use cannabis program. i've spent the last decade building bridges across the city between the cannabis community and different groups including law enforcement the executive and legislative branches of our city government and local regulators and department heads and most importantly our communities. i've worked on cannabis projects in every district in san francisco from visitation valley to north beach from the financial district to the sunset district from the mission to the marina. i'm very familiar with the challenges and the concerns that arise in these community that is are not familiar with having cannabis businesses in them and i've worked through solutions and seen through trial and error which solutions are effective and which are not. have have an in--depth knowledge of cannabis in san

francisco and i can provide that to the various areas in the committee. i want to provide my experience to this committee in service of the city of san francisco to help find solutions to the challenges that lay ahead and to build the best socially responsible and economically just cannabis system in the world here in san francisco. i'm available for any questions and i thank you all for your consideration. >> supervisor peskin: thank you, mr. hallinan. why don't we move on to charles pappas for seats 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16. >> yes. can you hear me? >> supervisor peskin: yes. we can. >> okay. i apologize for not being there with you. why do i want to join the oversight committee, i think i can improve them immensely. i appreciate the work they've done especially considering the

pandemic. the office of cannabis really facilitating the meetings through ray law. in my view, it was a little limited because i don't think they were organized enough, what i would bring to that committee, i worked eight years on the cannabis committee. we accomplished a lot from 2011 to present and, before that, i was a dispensary owner, we were closed by [inaudible] boo. and we started in 2005 in the tender -- south of mission -- south of market. sorry about that and we did move to the tenderloin right after that and we were very well received there. and i have a report from our landlord and the union and also the mayor's office of

disability. i'm very impressed by the members you have, but i hope you will consider me i think we can improve this group and go farther. the most important thing about legalization, no one's getting arrested anymore, but what's bad is the price of cannabis is now dependent on regulation, not on the constant production. i've attended a lot of p.c.c. meetings. i'm have you the bureau is familiar with that. thank you for your consideration. i appreciate it. >> supervisor peskin: before we go to the next speaker, mr. hallinan, if you can do us the kindness of turning your camera off. next applicant is aisha hampton, residency waiver requirement for seat 13.

>> can you hear me? >> supervisor peskin: yes. we can. >> okay. thank you. i would like to thank the board of supervisors and the rules committee just for this opportunity today. i'm aisha hampton. i'm a new equity applicant. i'm a native san franciscan and i'm a woman striving for change in the cannabis community. i'm hoping to, i take this seat as a honor and as well just in representing the equity community and just hope to inspire change and create laws on the story of justice initiatives and creating policy that further support the cannabis community and as well to see more diversity of race and gender opportunity for those like myself becoming an entrepreneur within the cannabis community, i'm in hopes to open up a

microbusiness within the next two years in san francisco and i feel as an equity applicant that i can really speak to the challenges that we're faced with just in finding funding and as well locations within san francisco, the struggle is real and i would just like to further of seeing programs that are available for equity applicants for people in the city. things are becoming easier accessed for folks. i currently have been taking advantage of a lot of the trainings that are available through the applicants and the success centers, andrea baker's agency making green dough and as well i work as a project manager for the super nova women's workforce development

where we're training cannabis operators within the communities with manufacturing skills and as well providing jobs after completion of the program for folks, for operators to be hired by other manufacturing companies. so i just really am honored to apply for this seat. it's hard to be able to say that you could speak for the whole equity industry because everyone's experience is different, but i have an open mind and i think that as well bringing over 20 years of administrative expertise and reliability and business to the seat that the sky's the limit and i believe we can provide and come up with more policies with respect to all the work that has been done. i think it's a great program in just want to continue that work for those that have gone and are doing the work before us at

this time. so i thank you for this opportunity and um, thank you for your consideration. >> supervisor peskin: thank you. next up -- >> clerk: we might have ms. de la vega on the line. >> hi. this is ms. de la vega on the line. my purpose for applying for seat 12 is because my name is cindy de la vega. i'm sorry. i'm in traffic right now so i'm trying to pay attention but also let you all know. so i applied for that seat because i felt i wanted to be

involved in, you know, the things that are going on with all the candidates and so i also felt that i could learn something out of it and just to be apart, you know, as a store front owner what my input can do to help or how we can make things just be better and, you know, more opportunity. i'm looking to like just to positive things. not negative, you know, i want to -- yeah. i'm sorry. i pretty much just want to get in and make a change and i feel that with this position, it gives us a chance to speak and the woman who spoke before me said we all are different and going to have different things to say and so i applied because i feel like i have a voice and i would like my voice to be heard and how i feel about it and that's my purpose. i'm a san francisco native born and raised.

i grew up in the sunnidale housing projects. i'm a united player i have always been and always will be a volunteer of theirs and, again, i just opened my storefront october 9th, 2020, and it's been a learning experience overall a blessing and, you know, again, just seeing everything unfold. >> supervisor peskin: thank you. why don't we move on to cloudell douglas for seat 13, residency waiver required. go ahead. it looks like you're trying.

is that, victor, is that the 588 number? >> clerk: i'm not aware of the call-in number. >> supervisor peskin: okay. >> clerk: i can check on that while we move on. >> supervisor peskin: why don't we move on to joshua aaron weitz. >> hi. can you guys hear me? >> supervisor peskin: yeah. >> all right. first, i would like to thank the board of supervisor rules committee for hearing me today and good morning. my name is malcolm joshua waitz. i've known since i was young that i wanted to be a cannabis entrepreneur. it's a path that's granted me the skills. -- my personal experience within sf cannabis program and within the criminal justice system for the need for anning teal program to start with.

i know what it's like to have multiple charges. sitting in a cell not knowing how many years it will be before you see your family. then i watched my father go through the same struggle. i've experienced what it's like to fight for equity in cannabis. that recognized the damage for the prison pipelines and the fact that local sf cannabis entrepreneurs play a nationwide role in the cannabis business. i know the difficulty equity candidates have looking for property in sf. i found three viable locations and signed three leases. i've experienced what it's like to negotiate deals and the right decisions are critical utilizing the equity cannabis present as my backbone. i've worked on getting three separate retail applications through planning and once through a conditional use

program. i know what it's like to negotiate with a diverse set of local community stakeholders, union, institutional investors and landlords. i know what it's like to dream because i choked on them and i digested those problems and hope i can avoid those others. i will bring that knowledge and experience and passion to the justice reform to the cannabis oversight committee to serve all my fellow applicants in the city of san francisco. thank you for this spunt. >> supervisor peskin: thank you, sir. let's move on to rubin sorrell. seat 13.

mr. young? >> clerk: um, my apologies. i was checking on ms. douglas. i do not have any contact information to check on her. >> supervisor peskin: okay. no problem. do we have rubin sorrell? okay. how about leah nina parks weitz. >> hello. can you guys hear me? >> supervisor peskin: yes. and we can see you. >> amazing. good morning, supervisors. >> supervisor peskin: kin.

>> i was blessed to be able to serve as the chair last year. my background is that i was born and raised here in san francisco and i have been on the front lines since 2015. i operated a 215 delivery service. actually, that belonged to my brother malcolm who you all just heard and i ran it while he was incarcerated in rikers island. my family really has pushed forward to help advocate the community in oakland. who aisha's now working for. and i helped to create the first equity program in oakland and i helped to organize a bunch of passionate organizers to create the one we have in san francisco. i also helped to cofound an

organization called the original equity group which ran a series of educational workshop to help people get to understand how to navigate the new regulations as they were rolling out. and now, i'm partnered in a local equity distribution that has been -- is one equity owned, three equity operators from california, the primary partners on it as well as a small family farmer from nevada county. we are in a conversation of small business owners and small operators in northern california as well as our small businesses and equity operators here in san francisco. i also am a founding board member for the color coalition so i get the opportunity to work with regulators from all over the united states that are helping to roll out equity programs in our state.

really, the term for this seat was supposed to be for two years and we made recommendations and didn't have the pleasure to work with the board of supervisors to see it through. really looking to do one more term just to be able to finish out what we had started and really looking forward to see other people take over in leadership and involve what was already created. so, thank you all for your time and i am open for questions when they are available. >> supervisor peskin: thank you for those comments and your work. why don't we move on to unless a couple of the earlier folks who didn't testify cloudell douglas or rubin sorrell are available. if they are not with us, let's move on to raina jackson seat 13 residency waiver required. >> good morning. my name is raina jackson. i'm very grateful for this

opportunity and i commend the office of cannabis and the board of supervisors for this ground breaking program. i've been in the cannabis industry in the bay area for the past six years and sales, management, distribution, on site marketing and compliance. i'm a san francisco native raised in the hayward ash bury and for me, i really want to hold this seat to be part of the solution, help fill the gap between what is needed to qualify for the program and what is needed to truly succeed in terms of technical assistance and financial support. i want to definitely commend the successors and [inaudible] for doing an excellent job in terms of filling those gaps. i want to see more accountability with incubators. i have a wonderful incubator who is truly a partner and a coach. in some cases, a lot of people

have been kind of left behind and so i just want to see something in terms of match making or something to kind of reduce the number of applicants or just kind of floating out there and also, just in terms of stronger incentive possibly for incubators, things like the free rent for incubates that's not really happy as anticipated and we just have to be happy and creative to change that. and then, also, i'm very concerned about like in terms of grant funds disbursement, just a more equitable disbursement kind of revisiting some of the eligible categories for reimbursement and advancement things like marketing and kind of allowing for some of the license types that are not, you know, as space intensive. the rules are for skewed in

favor of retailers, cultivators and manufacturers, traditional distributors but didn't look at type 13 transport only. people who brand. who have more intangible assets and not so much space intensive. so those are the two areas that i'm most interested in having an impact on. >> supervisor peskin: thank you. >> and i want to thank you for this opportunity. >> supervisor peskin: thank you, ms. jackson. next is izzabella velez also for seat 13. >> hello, can you hear me? >> supervisor peskin: yes. we can, kinda. >> okay. >> supervisor peskin: you are terribly broken up. it's very hard to hear you.

can you try again? >> supervisor peskin: okay. can you hear me now? >> supervisor peskin: yes. perfect. >> i represent not just the a.a.p.i. community but website

and instagram page for seat 13. the public can reach directly out to their representative and voice their needs. equity applicants can leave public reviews on city funded consulting firms on this platform in order to make sure allocated funds for this service are truly pressed. our city's equity operators must be protected from incubators and investors and must be educated on their rights and supporting farmers. i also plan on advocating for lowering cannabis taxes making it comparable to other industries. it's an honor to run against some of my peers and even my own mentor from sfeg. we are truly the faces of the equity program. my position for this seat is evidence when nonprofits and city funded programs come together we can uplift people who otherwise don't have a

chance. i believe these voices need to be heard and everybody has the capability for success given their opportunities. thank you. >> supervisor peskin: thank you. next. we'll move on to john nauer also for seat 13. >> hello. good morning. hello. >> supervisor peskin: good morning. >> good morning supervisors. how are you this morning and thank you for this opportunity. my name is john nauer. i have been a verified applicant since 2018. i'm also a member of the san francisco equity group who has helped verify over 30 applicants. i want to sit on this seat to make sure that those who have not yet enjoyed this opportunity have an opportunity to enjoy it and also to make sure some of the challenges that i've seen with my own eyes and that i have been part of

everything from getting real estate to finding the right partners, there are so many challenges that needs to be addressed. this program and this opportunity is a great one, but they lack resources especially from the city. in order for it to make the opportunity available for all of those that should benefit from this opportunity. i believe that the cannabis equity program can help a lot of those who have been impacted and are still being impacted from the war on drugs and i just want to make sure that those voices that haven't been heard and their needs and concerns are brought to the table. i'm looking forward to this opportunity if given an opportunity to sit on the oversight committee, but most of all, i just want to make sure that the spirit of the article 16 is being met because when this opportunity came out, a lot of folks like myself who not only were apart of the war

on drugs saw that this was our "dot com" or this was our tech break through but i see now this program is into its fifth or sixth year. so i just want to make sure that sitting on that seat those voices heard and also those people are given that opportunity like everyone else. as you see right now as a verified applicant, it's basically set up for failure for those who are trying to get in that don't have the support and don't have the means of getting in to the industry, so i just want to bring that to the platt tomorrow. thank you for this opportunity. >> supervisor peskin: thank you, mr. nauer, good to see you. next up is jesse stout. >> good morning supervisors. my name is jesse stout. i currently serve the cannabis oversight committee in seat 14

and demonstrated expertise in california cannabis laws and organizations. i've been in the medical cannabis movement since 2002. i was the cofounder and executive director in the nonprofit meeting and organizing for patients. in 2012, i graduated from u.c. hastings and became a criminal defense attorney for medical cannabis patients and, since 2013, i've been a corporate lawyer in the cannabis industry. so i've helped clients track state law and i also help represent equity applicants including permitting, licensing, and zoning. from 2016 to 2018 i served on the state legalization taskforce to the cannabis committee. i helped draft reports and presented to the board of supervisors including advocating for the equity program, its benefits and it is criteria to include people criminalized as well as their

families for the zoning rules including setbacks from uses and for events permitting to merely mirror state law and in 2019 that body appointed me to the cannabis oversight committee. and the board of supervisors including to advocate for more equity permits to be issued faster to make medical marijuana identification card to be free and to have more money in the office of cannabis reinvestment fund and i'm happy to stick around and answer any questions. >> supervisor peskin: next up is joshua adam ridless for also seat 14.

mr. ridless. >> good morning. i'm trying to turn my camera on. there we go. thank you, chair peskin, and supervisors chan and mandelman and the o.o.c. my name is joshua ridless and i'm applying for seat 14. i've been a resident of san francisco since 1990 and served as a small business attorney. for the past 20 years, i've had the privilege of being an active leader in the san francisco bar association and expanding access to justice. i've served on this board of directors. and currently serve as the chair of the lawyer referral and information services. the o.r.a.f. is a regulated consumer protection services which provides legal service to the community including probono services. i have contributed to the shaping and execution of its mission of diversity, equity

and inclusion. as the chair of the sf bar association's information service and in cooperation with the office of cannabis, our committee created a pro bona legal services panel to assist them with complex business and legal issues. i also serve on this panel and regularly provide pro bono services to equity. from a small business attorney perspective. i believe this background as well as the experience i bring in representing equity candidates would be an important voice on the cannabis oversight committee and a shared voice and an important partner of the city and county and i'm happy to take any questions. thank you. >> supervisor peskin: thank you, sir. now why don't we move on to yet another seat 14 applicant.

juell marie stewart. >> hi, good morning everyone. thank you chair peskin and supervisors mandelman and chan for your consideration. my name is juell marie stewart. i've been a proud resident of districteight for the past five years and though i'm not a san francisco native, the city has truly become my home. my cannabis subject matter expertise is rooted in my background in urban and economic development through a racial justice lens. i have a masters and i'm currently a manager at policy race forward racial equity organization and i'm proud to say this will be into the city of san francisco where i'll be the program manager in the house and human rights commission. i participated in the i fallal

co-hoard of the hood incubators business accelerator program. i was part of the h.r.c.'s cannabis taskforce and i spoke in front of state legalization taskforce to illustrate the importance of spatial and racial equity considerations in crafting the office of cannabis's equity program. the committee seat i'm applying for requires expertise in the state's cannabis laws and regulation. although i'm not an attorney, my approach to public policy is informed by my background in urban policy as well as my past experience across several states and local jurisdictions as a business consultant. i also contribute a unique racial equity lens as i'm well versed in the structural

barriers presenting equitable participation in the community. in addition to the persistent disparities in enforcement. i believe i can support the office of cannabis's goals with engaging in applicants and i also plan to bring a perspective that incorporates our city's unique built-in environment challenges such as retail evacueys, land and zoning. i look forward to serving the great city of san francisco. thank you. >> supervisor peskin: thank you. next for the same seat is lara decaro. >> hi. thank you. chair peskin, supervisor chan, and supervisor mandelman. it's good to see everybody here. i was born in the bay area. spent most of my childhood growing up in the city and i have been living back in d3 since the year 2000.

my children attend sfusd schools and we're very proud residents of the city. i am applying for seat 14 because i feel like i do have the requisite advocacy and legal knowledge to really bring something new to this oversight committee. we have a rare opportunity to bring significant change and progress coming out of this pandemic and i just want to help move that forward. i'm a cofounder of several successful cannabis programs. i was the cofounder of the cannabis international bar association. cannabis law section and also the san francisco pro bono legal services project. that came out of the conversation that i had with the office of cannabis several

years ago: i have a deep knowledge of cannabis laws in san francisco. my primary focus has always been on ethics in relation to the laws surrounding cannabis in california and social equity. i've been part of a multi-state effort to analyze social equity programs with multi-state level regulators. i'm also closer to home. i've been council for the state flower, several verified equity applicants and others in the bay area community for approximately 15 years. on that note. i won't take any more of your time. i'm thankful for your consideration. >> supervisor peskin: thank you. and now we'll move on to sara payan for seats 14, 15, or 16

residency waiver required encumbent on the committee. go ahead. sara? if not, we can circle back. >> oh, no. i'm here. sorry. can you see me on video? >> supervisor peskin: no. but we can hear you. >> okay. let me see here. >>. >> supervisor peskin: there we can see you and hear you. >> perfect. good morning, supervisors. my name is sara payan. i've lived in san francisco for 24 years and i'll be reapplying for a seat on the cannabis oversight committee. prior to my work in cannabis, i worked in the nonprofit civil rights sector.

i'm the public education officer for san francisco and the vice chair of the san francisco bay area mayor and this past year, i was past seat sixteen for the oversight committee for three years of the san francisco cannabis legalization taskforce. i've had the on of speaking and lecture cannabis policy and the importance of compassion programs. with over 16,000 hours of hands-on cannabis parable research, large health care organizations such as kaiser and s.f.h.. to accredited schools for health care practicioners through my private practice. i created some of the first cannabis market curriculum for city college as san francisco's continuing education program and a lecture series at u.c. berkley hospital of business.

my civil rights background fuels my passion and creating compassion programs to provide free cannabis to the critically and chronically ill low income. it's a hardship not only mentally, but also financially. and this is why i created during the medical days of 215 and why i fought so hard to provide my colleagues at the state level to we can reinstate compassion programs in this new era of legalization. we need to insist our community members so they can have a better quality of life. we have so much more work to do and i'm partnering with other advocates throughout the state to create more compassion programs to serve those in need. i thank you for your consideration. >> supervisor peskin: thank you. and thank you for your service thus far. next up is darius kemp. >> hello. supervisors, can you hear and

see me? >> supervisor peskin: yes. we can. >> thank you, supervisor peskin, supervisor chan, and supervisor mandelman. i currently live in district 10. i've been in san francisco for about 11 years now. i'm originally from birmingham, alabama. before i joined, i spent 4 years -- i spent two years as an s.e.i. organizer and two years working with the america project as a regional director for the south organizing and working with trade unions on worker development into trade unions and building out black and latino supports for trade unionization. also, but since i've joined the cannabis industry in the cannabis space, one of my greatest successes has been working with localities such as los angeles and san diego on exposing and educating local

officials on workforce development within the cannabis space. since joining, i started as a community manager and i eventually built up my own position as head of equity and community change. because of the work i've been able to do with creating our first social equity program, the first of its kind to the nation, the first to sell $4.5 million in the social equity cannabis here in the state of california. also, working with our ease momentum program and building wrap around programs and support for social equity partnerships and building and working with our investment partners to try to help build actual opportunities for social equity partners. and so, basically, you know, i think i have a very specific space in this industry because as a black queer man that's an executive of a cannabis company, never thought i would

be here from birmingham, alabama too, but with all of this work i've been here to do i've been able to create actual wealth and business opportunities for social equity partnerships. some of the first and biggest in the nation and many of those partners are actually san francisco based companies such as san francisco roots and kingston memorial and james hemston sf and so i want to thank you for your time and i hope that i can sit on the oversight committee seat because i think i have a lot of experience that would be super valuable to the committee as a whole. thank you again, my name is darius kemp, i currently live in district 10 here in san francisco. that's the bayview right across the street the from the opera house. so, please, consider me for seat 15. >> supervisor peskin: thank you, mr. kemp. impressive credentials. jennifer salerno also for seat

15. >> clerk: i believe ms. salerno has withdrawn. >> supervisor peskin: okay. that is news. so i will note that. why don't we move ton to michael patrick doherty for the same seat. >> good morning. my name is mike doherty. we offer many to the cannabis industry. i have extensive international accurate ground both in europe and west africa. in europe, i was the angel boot camp director where we taught high net individuals to do angel investing and build economic development. in west africa, up until covid hit, i was working in ghana

helping them find grants to help them build typically agriculture businesses. i'm currently working with bayer pharmaceutical where we align small businesses with partnerships with bayer pharmaceuticals. we help them deal with the massive bureaucracy so they can pursue partnerships with bayer. in the past, i've had the opportunity to work in san francisco and support many initiatives through the renaissance entrepreneur center. we've worked in the bay years supporting programs like the sunshine facade improvement program and supporting local entrepreneurs. i've had the opportunity to work with the national chain of cannabis with regard to restoring justice, social equity issues, licensing and

compliance. i think it's tremendously important that we look at successes in other communities such as older where we can see definite economic development. so i would like to bring that experience to this position and see san francisco benefit from that as well. thank you for this opportunity. >> supervisor peskin: thank you. and, now we go on to robert jones for the same seat. >> let me get the microphone on here. i'd like to thank the supervisors for the opportunity to share my desire and qualifications to serve my civic duty on seat 15 or 16 of the cannabis oversight committee. you know, workforce and economic development is critical now for the future of reducing unemployment in san francisco especially among the minority communities. as a native of san francisco

with a background in finance and self-employed, i've committed over 30 years of volunteering time to helping my community and a reliable voter in san francisco. i will be able to engage and bring leadership teams and labor, businesses, health care, first responders, and education from a vast network and my personal connections to regards to addressing the cannabis industry issues and concerns. i've worked with the employment development leaders in san francisco and the bay area. i also had a chance to work with a lot of tooth pick team collectives, farmers, manufacturers, adjust to the new cannabis laws and requirements to be transparent on their finances, compliance, and documentation. i worked with consultants, attorneys, investment bankers and investors eager to engage and support the cannabis

industry owners. my qualifications will add value to the committee by sharing the feedback from the financial committee cannabis industry owners, and by focusing on common ground in addressing unemployment issues by holding investors and owners accountable for hiring our struggling communities implementing real-life support for child care, transportation, medical clinics, and serving the underrepresented neighborhoods. i have and i feel my civic duty is to represent the students of san francisco and families living in our beautiful city by protecting the youth from illegal activity and enforcing the laws that target the youth. the revenues collected by the city from the industry should be employed to improve the city's infrastructure, public schools, public safety, roads, and parks and beaches too.

also, we must refrain from high taxing of the industry. we need to find better ways to make them successful first by education and mentors on site. reviewing our incoming revenues from the industry and forgiving new companies for taxes for a certain time period similar to the deals we provided to the internet industry. the cannabis industry in san francisco is right for success with tourism, residents, and the history our loving the plant by local population. we should be the leader in industry in research and development, employment, revenues and new small businesses. san francisco must be a leader in the world in regards to the blueprint of the cannabis industry policies and success for our citizens. thank you very much. i would love your consideration for seats 15 or 16.

>> supervisor peskin: thank you, sir. and, next, why don't we move on to theresa foglio-ramirez for seat 15 residency waiver required. >> good morning supervisors. my name is theresa foglio-ramirez. you may recognize me. while i will bring the experience from that role and helping to create and administer three separate public sector apprenticeship programs and the mayor's pre-apprenticeship program. i am replying for the san francisco. on the california statewide apprenticeship program through the guidance of the governor's office, we created four separate career pathways in the cannabis industry that include

cultivation, distribution, pharmacy technician and manufacturing. the san francisco oversight committee will focus on equity, backlog, in permitting and grand processes and distribution. post pandemic, there's a desperate need to focus on workforce development and economic recovery. and workers looking for new career opportunities. municipalities and governmental bodies such as this one share in an obligation to provide two career pathways in new innovative industries. certified apprenticeship programs have built-in mechanisms for accountability. if granted the honor to serve again on the san francisco oversight committee, my focus will be on creating true career pathways that will provide equity in the workforce through state certified apprenticeship opportunities. thank you for your time. >> supervisor peskin: thank

you. next, is kayla bearg. ms. bearg, are you there? mr. young, do we have kayla? >> clerk: i can double check. i will try to give her a call. >> supervisor peskin: okay. and while we're waiting for kayla, why don't we go on to russel tenofsky and there are a couple of individuals who we called earlier cloudell douglas or rubin sorrell. if any of these few remaining applicants and ms. bearg that will take us to the end of our

list. >> ya'll ready. >> supervisor peskin: yes >> hi. good morning. thank you. thank you for taking the time to consider me for a committee member. i am russel tenofsky and i'm a medical marijuana patient and worked in the cannabis industry. i started working in a san francisco dispensary in 2003. i'm also an m.m.i.c. holder. this unique experience has given me both insight as a patient and a provider including an ebb extensive knowledge in the m.m.i.c. system. working at medicinal marijuana dispensaries and working with our compassion in helping hands program is in particular extensive. i have over eleven years of experience. and all of them have run compassion-based programs. i also have experience working with the lgbtq community,

people from every ethnic background assistancing people living with hiv and aids and other chronic illnesses companion and/or service animals. i've been working at mendocino care since 2003. i also had the pleasure of working for market street cooperative which was san francisco's dispensary, a dispensary that helps force the way for the medical community. i've been working at berkely's patient group to ensure they are a proper patient. i also assist patients in had working through any doctor recommendation in navigating the project itself. b.p.g. caters to medical and

recreational users. i truly believe cannabis is medicine and have witnessed its unbelievable effect on chronically ill be patients who have nowhere else to turn. in addition to my long-time professional medical cannabis experience, i also have vast experience on san francisco commissions. i've been a member of san francisco's commission for the past eight years. i've successfully passed seven resolutions to the commission and many the board of supervisors pass three of those resolutions. my past professional and volunteer experienceco aless into as a committee member. medical based cannabis, education, support in sales. proposition 64 has taken most of the focus away from medical

patients and pointed towards sales and my bottom line. people have once again fallen through the cracks. the cannabis industry needs to recognize support and value the medical community as it once did. as a committee member, my compassion and commitment would be to invigorate the community for the most vulnerable and needy members. thank you once again for considering my application. >> supervisor peskin: thank you. are any of the other three individuals who were called earlier available to testify? >> clerk: chair peskin. i'd like to note that ms. bearg previously informed us by e-mail she was unable to attend. >> supervisor peskin: how many folks are in the queue for public comment? >> clerk: i'm waiting for a quick update.

one moment. >> there's 51. >> supervisor peskin: got it. why don't we open this up for public comment. two minutes per speaker. >> clerk: yes. members of the public who wish to provide public comment on this item should call (415) 655-0001. the meeting id is 187 733 9419 then press pound and pound again. if you haven't already done so, please press star 3 to line up to speak. a system prompt will indicate you have raised your hand. please wait until you have been unmuted and you may begin your comment. we currently have one member in the public queue to speak. >> supervisor peskin: first speaker, please. >> thank you. and thank you for the opportunity to speak. i will keep this short out of respect for everyone's time. my name is john gomez. i am a representative of u.f.c.w. local 5. i just wanted to speak in

support of reappointing jessica cry for seat 10 of the cannabis oversight committee. jessica is a, you know, long-term involvement in the cannabis industry. she also is the, you know, represents a lot of the cannabis workers. so, again, i wanted to speak my support and thank you for the opportunity to speak. >> supervisor peskin: thank you, mr. gomez. are there any other members of the public who would like to testify on this item number two? >> clerk: i believe we have one more. >> supervisor peskin: next speaker, please. go ahead, speaker. >> hello. this is carol con. i'm appearing on behalf of the bar association executive director yolanda jackson and executive that's the bar

association of san francisco and we currently administer to the cannabis pro bono equity panel. i'm appearing to support the candidacy of josh ridless for seat 14 of the commission. i've personally have had the privilege to know josh for over 15 years as the oversight committee and since 2019 as its chair. i've also known josh with the lawyer panel as attorney and businesses in law. through my dear friends and clients to rave reviews. josh has also regularly given back to those who unable to afford representation. when the bar association reached out to the office of cannabis, that effort transferred to the lawyer referral and information service at the direction of executive director in 2019.

this was done in order to ensure all lawyers rendering pro bono service met requirements, mal practice insurance, ongoing education requirements in cannabis laws and are in otherwise good standing with the state bar of california. for those on the committee who may not be aware, the lawyer referral service is certified through the state board of california under regulations and rules prom ill gated by the state supreme court. so, josh was at the helm and helped to shepherd the development of a cannabis qualifications application and he also actively participates as a member attorney of the cannabis pro bono panel. his cannabis practice includes businesses with dispensaries, growing operations as well as companies -- >> supervisor peskin: thank you, carol, for your testimony.

are there any other members of the public for this item number two? >> clerk: yes. i believe there's an additional caller. >> supervisor peskin: okay. >> hello. i want to thank you all for this great work that you're doing for the cannabis industry and equity. i am calling in regards to raina jackson for seat 13. some of you might know i'm the chair of the san francisco public utilities commission c.a.c. i'm not here in that capacity, but in working with raina over this past year, her focus on equity and getting things done is amazing. in addition, she is not only a san francisco native, she also went to stanford and also got her mba at nyu and has been an

active member of actually giving great feedback back to the office. so i hope that you can consider her to be part of the commission. i think she'd be a great asset to you all. >> clerk: thank you. i belief we have three additional callers. can we have the next speaker, please. >> hi, my name is jessica mataka and i work with andrea baker consulting. we're contracted with the office of cannabis to provide technical assistance to verified equity applicants and i'm calling to offer my support for a few candidates started with will dolan he also is one of our technical service providers helping us with

providing support to verifying equity applicants as they navigate the permit process. and over the past year working with will it's just become really clear on how much knowledge he has about cannabis industry, about real estate. he's been a vital asset to our team. i've seen him work hand in hand and he's really committed to this work in his part and so i just want to offer my full support to him and i also want to offer my support to cindy de la vega for seat 12 and aiash hampton and izzalella velez for seat 13. they're also people that care a lot about the cannabis industry and i think can offer meaningful voices and perspective. thank you so much. >> clerk: thank you. can we have the next caller,

please. >> good morning, supervisors. it is your old colleague connor johnston. i am a cannabis retailer in san francisco. i haven't been in the industry for a few years now. i recognized a lot of names on the candidate list today. i want to speak specifically about my partner shawn richard who is applying to the reappointed to seat 12. he was the first social equity splint in san francisco and i think with good reason. the man is an inspiration having served time in jail for a drug offense 25 years ago and losing family members to gun violence, he founded against guns and has been a role model for generations of youth in

this city and has taught himself the cannabis industry from the ground up and is now running a multi-million dollars business that allows me to sleep relatively well at night knowing he's literally watching the store. so i really hope shawn can continue to serve. he's done a great job on this community, lastly, i would never give good government advice to chair peskin. but i notice this committee is due to sunset at the end of this year, and i think if extending that, you may also want to make these terms staggered in length because i think right now the committee's unable to meet because all of the committees so it might be when you do that expansion if the board decides to do so. thank you and it's good to see you guys. >> supervisor peskin: good to see you too, connor and we look forward to having recommendations from the oversight committee itself as

to its future. thank you for those suggestions. next speaker, please. >> hello, can you guys hear me? >> supervisor peskin: yes. we can >> okay. hello. my name is david and i'm san francisco born and raised. i've been following closely on everything it's that's been going on and i've been seeing everything that malcolm josh weitz has been doing for this community. and i'm just excited to see what would happen next. >> supervisor peskin: are there any other speakers? >> my name is desire.

hello. my name is desire flynn. as a staff member of gold seal for a little over three years, i've seen firsthand what it takes to build a cultivation, manufacturing, and distribution company from scratch in san francisco. i'm sure i will not be the first to tell you that it is no easy task. i'm speaking in support of aaron today because not only has he navigated the formation and growth of our community through difficult processes posed by state and city requirements, but he has done so with the focus of creating a small business that provides stable employment with opportunities for upward mobility that will be apart of san francisco landscape and culture for the long term and belief in the fair equality treatment of staff, vendors, customers, and the public is demonstrated by his focus on

supporting equity brands, veterans groups and diversity in the workplace. our diverse staff of 17 bay area represents compromise from all walks of life with several employees working with a strong emphasis of promoting from within the company. as the owner and operator of gold seal in san francisco, sf manufacturing, distribution company since 2015, aaron understands the nuances and the challenges standing up and sustaining a successful business in a very challenging landscape. the expertise that aaron can bring to the committee in regards to the nonretail side of the industry is invaluable and i believe his focus on helping to create a sustainable landscape in which all sf cannabis operators can exist and thrive makes him an ideal candidate for re-election for seat number 9.

thank you guys, and i appreciate it. >> supervisor peskin: thank you. are there any other members of the public to comment on this item? >> good afternoon, supervisors. my name is johnny deal plain. i'm an entrepreneur here in this fair city. and i'm calling today to lend my support to my partner shawn richard for seat 12. along with mr. johnson who you heard earlier, we're partners with shawn at an independent cannabis operator and, you know, we have seen shawn grow so much over the past two years and really attack this thing head-on. the guy has a lifetime commitment to the city of san

francisco running his nonprofit brothers against guns and i couldn't be prouder of the partnership we've been able to form. we hit a rough patch through all the civil unrest. shawn was at the store literally to keep our store safe and i'm proud to support him for seat 12. i'd also like to lend my support to aaron flynn with seat 9. i originally joined the cannabis community as a cultivator and aaron and i were apart of the san francisco cannabis licensing groups, one of the first groups asking for the licensing of nonretail in cannabis and i've just watched aaron lead his company and our entire cannabis community in san francisco through the very rocky and just the regulatory transition. we were building it out of nothing. i think rocky is maybe unfair. it's just that's what it was.

we built it out of nothing, the supervisors in the industry. congratulations to all that it's rolling now. i just want to give my support on aaron. thank you very much for your time. >> supervisor peskin: thank you. are there any other members of the public? >> clerk: we have approximately four more -- >> supervisors. in all the deliberations, we have forgotten cherokee k. so whoever is appointed, you have to substitute the word "compassion" with "empathy" and when you understand what empathy is, you will understand how best you can serve those who need cannabis for the medical needs. what i am monitoring is the

violence on our streets. the cannabis is sold freely as opposed to what those who have fences with all sorts of cannabis are selling. so those who are appointed on the oversight committee have to address quality of life issues. in order to do that, they have to know how to make a needs assessment. this shouldn't be about some people making a lot of money. this should be serving those who most need help. and, as human beings, we need empathy.

study the word empathy. thank you very much. >> supervisor peskin: thank you. next speaker, please? >> hello, can you hear me? >> supervisor peskin: yes. >> how are you doing? my name is ruly have youlamazar. i ask that you strongly consider malcolm for seat 13. i've been working with him for a long time. he's been working really hard. so i just want to make sure he gets a chance to do his thing. thank you. >> supervisor peskin: next speaker. >> thank you, supervisors for this opportunity to address you. i am the principal and founder of green bridge corporate council. we are a cannabis law firm, a

business law firm that serves the legal cannabis industry in california throughout california and other jurisdictions as well. i'm speaking in favor of reappointing jesse stout. my colleague jesse stout who works with me at greenbridge over the last eight to nine years have worked closely together to advise cannabis businesses throughout the state on law and regulation. jesse has been a tireless advocate on behalf of entrepreneurs and businesses including folks from minority communities and has contributed greatly to efforts to advance social equity in the cannabis industry as well both in san francisco, but also nationally. jesse worked very closely with me in putting together the model, social equity municipal ordinance for the minority

cannabis business association which was posted to the website after it was published. jesse has shown his commitment time and time again in racial and social justice as well advanced in social equity. so jesse has earned so much expertise and a strong reputation for his expertise with the california laws and regulations and, for that reason, i think he should be reappointed and should continue to leverage that passion and expertise on behalf of san franciscans. >> supervisor peskin: thank you. next speaker. >> hi. i'm calling in regards to izzabella velez. she's a great candidate for seat 13. she's been working alongside

cannabis community support. she's an up and coming candidate, but also has a lot of just to back her up in terms of her power and her [inaudible] towards the cannabis community. and i feel like with her strides that she's been giving, she can definitely go hard. so i definitely recommend izzabell velez for seat 13. thank you guys. >> supervisor peskin: thank you. next speaker. >> clerk: the person is on the line but is not speaking.

>> supervisor peskin: okay. let's go on to anybody else. >> clerk: there's nobody else in the queue. >> supervisor peskin: all right. public comment is closed and i'm anxious to hear from my colleagues on this panel, but i just want to start out by thanking all of the applicants, the existing encumbents, as well as everybody else who applied. i think we have -- there are various ways we can go. obviously, we do not have a applicant so that seat we will need to continue and consider applicants for that seat in the future and i know that mr. block intends to reapply for that and we will consider that one, the application when we renotice that seat.

one of the seats is very easy wherein there is one applicant for one seat with an encumbent of that body and that's jessica cry for seat 10. i think we can go through these things. there may be an easy way to do this which is to given as i said at the beginning the newness of this committee to stick with or largely stick with the encumbents particularly given that the last year has been something of a hiadus for many workings of government. and the other thing we can do is stew on this for a week and continue this to our meeting of the 26th and send things forward as a committee report on the 27th. so i just wanted to throw that out to colleagues as different ways that we could proceed and depending on what you say, i'm

happy to try to dispose of the matter or to continue it a week as my colleagues so desire. so with that, i will turn it over to vice chair mandelman and supervisor chan. >> supervisor mandelman: i don't know that i have clear solutions because we definitely have far too many excellent candidates for these positions. i think it might benefit from a continuance. i think, in general, the notion that these folks have not, you know, have been serving in a weird time and for not terribly long and insofaras folks serving in these jobs. i have a mild preference for san francisco applicants for residents who require residency waivers. and there are a couple of folks it would be nice to find space

for on this committee. i think brendan hallinan has been working here for many years. i think and i think i don't only believe this because she is a constituent of mine but i think juell stewart is an excellent candidate as well. those are some of my preliminary thoughts. >> supervisor peskin: supervisor chan. >> supervisor chan: thank you, chair peskin. i want to talk a little bit about the candidates that i'm looking for to support and i'm really looking at three queue elements and one i think first and formal, i'm really glad that ms. jessica cry has no other competitor for her seat because i think that she made a really good point today. it's really about in this juncture of cannabis business, i really am looking forward to

seeing licensees that really care about the workers in terms of safety, providing a safe, healthy, and fair working environment and i'm also really looking forward to seeing businesses that really focus on good neighbor policy and really have an understanding of what san francisco is about but most importantly how different all neighborhoods are and really take the time to understand our neighborhoods and invest in the neighborhood and invest in our community. and, third, but not least, i'm also looking for candidates that really actually understand the elements of the ongoing importance of research and education about cannabis that we should not stop where we were a decade ago when we talk about medical cannabis. we should continue to think about its impact on our

communities and on users. i look forward to seeing people who will advocate for that. so, with that, i do think that with 31 candidates now, that's what we're down to for the seats, perhaps, give ourselves a one week continuance will definitely help, but i also agree with the fact that having encumbents on a taskforce really helps to build the next steps and the fact that a lot of these encumbents are also are the people who have been in the cannabis industry for a long time in san francisco will help us with the institutional knowledge to help things move forward in the coming years or so. >> supervisor peskin: thank you, supervisor chan and thank you supervisor mandelman. how about this as an inbetween suggestion. let me just try this on you which is maybe we can get a

little bit of this done today and leave the seats seats 12 through 16 where there is extensive competition for a continuance. maybe we can get a little bit out of the way based on what i think we all think are the theory ys of diversity experience. i think it's very easy as we all three agree to move ms. cry for seat number 10. and, in the case of seat eight, we have two applicants and in the case of seat nine, we have two applicants and i think if we're leaning towards encouple balancy and testimony made on their behalf i would suggest we continue with ali jamalian

continuing eat 8. i would like to make a motion to move ali jamalian for seat 8. jessica cry for seat 10 and continue the balance of the items to our next meeting on april the 26th at 10:00 a.m. on that motion, mr. clerk, a roll call, please. >> clerk: yes. on that motion [roll call] the motion to appoint ali jamalian to seat 8. aaron flynn to seat 9 and jessica cry to seat 10 passes without objection. >> supervisor peskin: and, in

that motion was also continuing the balance of the items to our meeting next week and, with that, colleagues, we are adjourned. -

>> shop & dine in the 49 promotes local businesses and challenges resident to do their showing up and dining within the 49 square miles of san francisco by supporting local services within the neighborhood we help san francisco remain unique successful and vibrant so where will you shop & dine in the 49 san francisco owes must of the charm to the unique characterization of each corridor has a distinction permanent our neighbors are the economic engine of the city. >> if we could a afford the lot by these we'll not to have the

kind of store in the future the kids will eat from some restaurants chinatown has phobia one of the best the most unique neighborhood shopping areas of san francisco. >> chinatown is one of the oldest chinatown in the state we need to be able allergies the people and that's the reason chinatown is showing more of the people will the traditional thepg. >> north beach is i know one of the last little italian community. >> one of the last neighborhood that hadn't changed a whole lot

and san francisco community so strong and the sense of partnership with businesses as well and i just love north beach community old school italian comfort and love that is what italians are all about we need people to come here and shop here so we can keep this going not only us but, of course, everything else in the community i think local businesses the small ones and coffee shops are unique in their own way that is the characteristic of the neighborhood i peace officer prefer it is local character you have to support them. >> really notice the port this community we really need to kind of really shop locally and

support the communityly live in it is more economic for people to survive here. >> i came down to treasure island to look for a we've got a long ways to go. ring i just got married and didn't want something on line i've met artists and local business owners they need money to go out and shop this is important to short them i think you get better things. >> definitely supporting the local community always good is it interesting to find things i never knew existed or see that that way. >> i think that is really great that san francisco seize the vails of small business and creates the shop & dine in the 49 to support businesses make people all the residents and visitors realize had cool things are m