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Board OKs first‑reading 10‑year suspension of San Francisco cannabis business tax after heated debate
Summary
On Dec. 9 the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted on first reading to suspend the cannabis business tax through Dec. 31, 2035. Sponsors said the deferral protects legal retailers from an entrenched black market; opponents warned it risks up to tens of millions in city revenue amid a projected $1 billion budget shortfall.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted on first reading Dec. 9 to suspend the city's cannabis business tax for 10 years, a move supporters said is intended to give licensed cannabis retailers time to compete with an entrenched illegal market.
Supervisor Melgar, the ordinance's sponsor, told colleagues the market remains "highly competitive" and that illicit sellers control ‘‘more than 50% of the market," undercutting legal operators with lower prices and no regulatory or tax obligations. He said the deferral is not an elimination but a 10‑year pause to give the legal industry room to recover and better compete. "Rent control remains one of…
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