San Francisco cannabis dispensaries concerned about recent break-ins

SAN FRANCISCO - Some San Francisco cannabis dispensaries are sounding the alarm after several locations were broken into over the past few weeks. Owners said it’s dispensary products the suspects are after.

"The businesses targeted are all equity-owned stores," said Program Manager for Success Center San Francisco Angela White. "Those who are out here doing this kind of activity, you’re hurting your own people."

White joined a group of San Francisco cannabis business owners and supporters Thursday to talk about the problems some dispensaries are facing.

"They’ve had to endure a lot just to get here," said White. "Now to see this, it’s upsetting."

Cannabis retailers including California Street Cannabis Company, STIIIZY, Liberty, Posh Green, and Authentic 415 said they’ve all been hit.

"They were able to break through this scissor gate," said Karim Mayfield, owner of Authentic 415. "They also got through the tempered glass.

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Mayfield said the suspects involved in his break-in reportedly used a crowbar. He said when police arrived, the suspects were already gone.

"It’s not the cash they’re after," he said. "It’s the product."

Business owners tell KTVU the break-ins disrupt their business flow. Everything from a store’s cleanup and cost of repairs to taking stock of inventory; all adds up.

"These insurance companies don’t move fast enough," said one business owner. "They move slow and at their pace, and it’s downtime that costs the dispensary. We’re losing money to where we can’t get back up and running fast enough.

As for safety in and outside the impacted dispensaries, business owners said they’ve been doing wellness checks on employees. Stores also have rotating security guards and their security cameras are continuously rolling.

"It doesn’t feel good," said Mayfield. "It’s that feeling of being unsafe. We want the people caught."

It’s unclear if the break-ins are related. The San Francisco Police Department is investigating.