Cannabis Café Bill Advances as CCA Workers Rally Against Vanderbilt

San Francisco's Land Use and Transportation Committee tackled two volatile policy debates June 29 — forwarding a cannabis café ordinance to the full board despite the chair's objections over indoor smoking, and shelving a planning exemption that would benefit Vanderbilt University after more than a dozen California College of the Arts workers and allies packed the hearing to oppose it.

• Cannabis café ordinance heads to full board without recommendation after Chair Melgar breaks with colleagues over indoor smoking and public health concerns
• CCA faculty, students and unions rally against Vanderbilt planning exemption; committee adds 2032 sunset and shelves item indefinitely
• Bayview bar owners gain flexibility to relocate legacy liquor establishments within the district
• B&B room cap raised to 10 in all residential zones; final vote continued to July 13
• "Art Agnos Way" approved for the 500-600 blocks of Connecticut Street in Potrero Hill

The basics: The ordinance, introduced by Board President Rafael Mandelman, implements state AB 1775 (authored by Assemblymember Matt Haney) to allow cannabis retailers to serve food and non-alcoholic beverages, expand consumption lounge areas beyond the existing one-third cap, and create a new cannabis café permit through the Office of Cannabis. Key amendments narrow a 600-foot buffer exception, limit first-year eligibility to existing retailers, and require Health Code compliance.