Pot regs vote in SF delayed amid outcry

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco supervisors delayed voting Tuesday on proposed pot regulations, making it more unlikely that people in this weed-friendly city will be able to buy recreational pot when adult use becomes legal Jan. 1 in California.

Supervisors have had a hard time fashioning local rules for pot shops as older members of the Chinese immigrant community have come out against placing retail stores too close to schools, daycare centers and anywhere else that children might gather.

Tuesday’s board meeting in San Francisco was emotional, with some supervisors arguing to get temporary rules on the books for the first day of legal sales, while others urged the board to take more time to make the regulations right.

Recreational pot might be available in San Francisco in the first week of January if officials meet a tight timeline requiring the mayor’s quick approval. It could also be ready Jan. 1 if supervisors meet in special session.

Jeff Sheehy, a San Francisco supervisor who uses medical marijuana to mitigate pain from older HIV medications, pleaded with the board to adopt the temporary measure.

“Taking the time to get the piece right makes a lot of sense, but not having something available on

Jan. 1, I think that makes us look bad,” he said.

He and other cannabis advocates prefer a 600-foot buffer zone between pot shops and schools.

But some Chinese-american organizations want future retail stores to be at least 1,500 feet away from schools, child care centers and any other places where minors gather.

Several supervisors expressed outrage at the way cannabis advocates have characterized Chinese opponents, calling the comments racist and intolerant.