Committee forwards amended ‘Recovery First’ ordinance after hours of testimony from medical, recovery and harm‑reduction advocates

The Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee voted on Thursday to accept amendments to Supervisor Matt Dorsey’s Recovery First ordinance and forward the amended legislation to the full Board of Supervisors with a positive recommendation.

Supervisor Dorsey described the measure as an effort to establish “a drug policy North Star” that names the long‑term remission of substance use disorders as the city’s primary treatment goal while continuing to recognize harm‑reduction approaches. Dorsey read into the record a series of edits developed in consultation with the San Francisco Marin Medical Society that revise the ordinance’s title, refine definitions of “remission” and “recovery,” and clarify that recovery “may include participation in a medication assisted…