San Francisco, Calif. – On July 14, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance to exempt “cannabis cafes” from the smoke-free law. The ordinance allows “cannabis cafes” to serve food and nonalcoholic drinks and host entertainment, effectively turning them into restaurants where smoking is allowed.
The following is a statement from Ken Wilkerson, senior government relations director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) in California:
“Passage of this ordinance jeopardizes public health and rolls back decades of hard-won protections of workers’ right to breathe clean, smoke-free air. It also undermines San Francisco’s existing smoke-free workplace protection laws and compromises compliance.
“Smoke-free laws have played a pivotal role in reducing smoking rates and preventing youth from ever starting. San Francisco is stepping away from this progress at a time when nearly 42% of California adults say they’re being exposed to secondhand cannabis smoke and the carcinogens and toxic chemicals it contains. We should be building upon smoke-free policies, not chipping away at them.
“Despite this loss, we remain steadfast in our work to protect Californians’ right to breathe clean, smoke-free air and urge local jurisdictions to prioritize public health by upholding smoke-free laws without exemptions.”