FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, October 29, 2018

Press Contact: Gloria Chan, Gloria.chan@sfgov.org, (415) 554-6926

***PRESS RELEASE***

CITY ANNOUNCES EXPANSION TO THE CANNABIS EQUITY PROGRAM

New Services to Promote Ownership and Stable Employment for Cannabis Equity Applicants

San Francisco, CA– Today, Mayor London N. Breed, the Office of Economic and Workforce Development
(OEWD) and the Office of Cannabis (OOC) announced that the City is expanding its efforts to improve
opportunities in the cannabis industry for those from communities most impacted by the War on
Drugs. The expansion of the Cannabis Equity Program will include legal services to lower barriers for
entrepreneurs who want to understand and comply with the regulatory landscape.

"Our Equity Program is about giving opportunities and priority to communities that have borne the
brunt of the failed War on Drugs. This expansion of services we are announcing today will help people in
these communities to participate in and benefit from this great new economic opportunity,” said Mayor
London Breed. “While we can't change what has happened in the past, we can make sure that as we
move forward our new cannabis industry is an inclusive one with low barriers to entry, which will make
it stronger and more successful for everyone involved.”

The Equity Program expansion includes enhancements to services that will help cannabis industry
entrepreneurs through the local and state regulatory and compliance requirements. The new service will
match interested and Verified Equity Applicants with qualified legal experts in the areas of licensing and
permitting, banking, ownership, compliance audits, zoning, and taxation. The expansion will also include
one-on-one consultations and educational materials to clarify the laws and regulations applicable to
participation in San Francisco’s Equity Program.

The Office of Economic and Workforce Development recently issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ)
seeking proposals from community based organizations for legal services around cannabis. As a bridge
to legal resources provided through this RFQ, the Office of Cannabis is partnering with the Bar
Association of San Francisco to provide pro bono legal assistance for Equity Applicants.

"Legal support, like this partnership with the Bar Association, is essential for barrier reduction for new
business owners. Supporting our equity entrepreneurs is a moral imperative. I look forward to seeing
more efforts like this one as we continue to level the playing field for communities targeted by the 'War
on Drugs',” said Malia Cohen, President of the Board of Supervisors.
This expansion follows the Cannabis Equity Report in 2017, which recommended the City develop new
programs and partnerships to help applicants overcome technical barriers to success. The report found
that navigating regulatory processes is easier for well-resourced individuals and that having access to a
lawyer versed in the cannabis industry is a critically important resource.

“This expansion will ensure that low-income cannabis entrepreneurs have equal access to legal
support,” said Joaquín Torres, Director of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development. “The
Office of Economic and Workforce Development is eager to work with the Office of Cannabis and the
Bar Association of San Francisco to advance Mayor Breed’s equity goals and create economic
opportunities in the cannabis industry for communities that have been disproportionately harmed by
the War on Drugs.”

“Today marks an important step towards providing our Equity Applicants with the resources they
require to be successful when seeking Cannabis Business Permits. We know that legal assistance is a
fundamental need of the majority of our Equity Applicants, notably when negotiating with Equity
Incubators and investors,” said Nicole Elliott, Director of the Office of Cannabis. “I am grateful for the
partnership of OEWD and the Bar Association of San Francisco and pleased that the City is taking the
necessary steps to continue addressing the barriers to entry that have been called out in our Equity
Report. Finally, I’m hopeful we – the City and external stakeholders - can continue to build on this
effort.”

“Lawyers in San Francisco care about issues of equity. The Cannabis Law Committee of the Bar
Association of San Francisco is proud to serve its members and the San Francisco community by
connecting interested and verified equity applicants through the San Francisco Office of Cannabis to the
Committee’s members for pro bono representation,” said Shay Gilmore, Vice Chair of the Bar
Association of San Francisco Cannabis Law Committee.

Given the new and growing nature of the cannabis industry in California, many businesses will face
technical knowledge-based gaps. Technical barriers to entry may include the lack of soft skills of
entrepreneurship, ownership expertise, and information to comply with legal and regulatory
requirements. Regulatory processes are difficult to navigate, especially for individuals who do not have
experience operating a business or are unable to afford specialized consulting or legal assistance.

"Access to a lawyer is paramount to realizing the goals of San Francisco's Cannabis Equity Program.
Often times, equity applicants are at a serious disadvantage when negotiating with a cannabis operator
so, it's vitally important that resources are made available for pro bono legal services. I support the
efforts of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development for taking action on such a vital
issue," said Ed Donaldson, a San Francisco equity applicant.

The Cannabis Equity Program

The City is working systematically and incrementally through the recommendations in the Cannabis
report to address decades of discriminatory drug policies and the blunt difference in access to wealth-
building and opportunity. This program aims to level the playing field by providing full and equal access
to legal advice and legal resources necessary to enable individuals and entrepreneurs to make informed
decisions about their access to wealth generation and employment opportunities. The program is led by
the Office of Cannabis. For more information, go to: www.officeofcannabis.sfgov.org/equity
The Office of Cannabis oversees the Equity Program. To date, over 200 equity applicants have been
verified by the Office of Cannabis and over 120 cannabis business permit applications have been
submitted by Equity Program participants.

In the coming weeks, the Office of Cannabis will host a Listening Session with Verified Equity Applicants
to hear more about the barriers they are experiencing when seeking Cannabis Business Permits in San
Francisco. This listening session will inform the Office of Cannabis’ advocacy when seeking a portion of
the ten million dollars set aside by the State after the passage of Senator Steven Bradford’s Senate Bill
1294 earlier this year.

About the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD)

The Office of Economic and Workforce Development's (OEWD) mission is simple – to create shared
prosperity in San Francisco. OEWD provides city-wide leadership for workforce development, business
attraction and retention, neighborhood commercial revitalization, international business and
development planning. For more information, go to: www.oewd.org

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