West of Twin Peaks is San Francisco’s most suburban district, by almost any metric: houses have things mostly unknown in San Francisco, things like “yards” and “driveways.”
Heck, people have “houses.”
But just because it’s suburban doesn’t mean it lacks urban problems, as its elected representative will tell you.
“What is it like to live 1,000 feet from a dispensary? It’d be nice to have that expertise on the committee”There exists on Ocean Avenue a medical marijuana dispensary, 1000 feet from a playground, 1000 feet from a middle school. Folks in the Ingleside don’t necessarily take too kindly to the 1944 Ocean Collective, which has “armed guards outside.” Think of the children, people!
On Tuesday, legislation creating a new, 13-member medicinal marijuana advisory committee was approved by the Board of Supervisors. But Elsbernd wants to ensure that, in addition to collective managers, patient advocates and other such Cheeches and Chongs, neighborhood residents are included on the committee. Otherwise, the committee’s actions and opinions will be “viewed through a skewed lens,” according to Elsbernd.
“What is it like to live 1,000 feet from a dispensary? It’d be nice to have that expertise on the committee,” he said Tuesday. “I invite you to come down to Ocean Avenue… where elderly people go down the street past armed guards and (1944 Ocean’s) gated facilities. These people may have a different point of view” than folks in SoMa or the Tenderloin.
The legislation’s author, Supervisor David Campos, said he’d be fine with making sure there was a seat on the committee reserved for just folks of the kind Elsbernd suggested (though Elsbernd was still one of the two nay votes when the legislation passed, 8-2).
The committee is purely advisory and the Board is in no way beholden to any recommendation it may issue, Campos pointed out. That being said, Campos is open to every viewpoint on the pot question.
“I want to be as inclusive as possible,” he said. “We want every view represented.
It may not be Sean Elsbernd’s view that is represented,” Campos added, “but as a rule this city is very supportive of medicinal cannabis.”
