Cannabis Café Temporary Eligibility Criteria
Until August 21, 2027, the OOC will only accept Cannabis Café permit applications that meet all of the following criteria:
- The permit Applicant, without disqualifying factors, either holds a valid Storefront Cannabis Retailer permit or has the same Owners as a separate entity that holds a valid Storefront Cannabis Retailer permit;
- If the Cannabis Café permit Applicant does not hold a Storefront Cannabis Retailer permit and has an Equity Applicant as an Owner, the Equity Applicant’s ownership interest in the Applicant entity must be equal to or greater than: (i) 20%; or (ii) the Equity Applicant’s percentage ownership in the Storefront Cannabis Retailer Permittee that has the same Owners as the Applicant entity;
- The Storefront Cannabis Retailer Permittee is not connected with any other Cannabis Café permittee or pending Cannabis Café permit application.
Disqualifying factors for applying for a Cannabis Café permit may include, but are not limited to the following: having a legal or beneficial interest in four or more Cannabis Café applications and permits; permit suspension; permit revocation, expired permits, closed businesses, and businesses with unpaid City fees.
Letter of Intent
The OOC intends to distribute an email notification to prospective Cannabis Café Applicants by August 14, 2026, to gauge the level of interest in pursuing this permit type. The notification will also provide guidance encouraging potential Applicants to update their ownership records with the OOC so that, if eligible, they can apply for a Cannabis Café permit as soon as the application becomes available.
OOC encourages Applicants to submit their LOIs to the OOC no later than September 01, 2026 of their intent to move forward. After receiving an Applicant’s response to the LOI, OOC will engage the Applicant to outline next steps, including whether the Applicant has met the necessary conditions to begin the Cannabis Café permit application process once it opens.
If you do not receive an email notification by August 14, please contact the Office of Cannabis as soon as possible with documentation demonstrating your eligibility to apply.
Submitting a Letter of Intent is Optional Applicants who do not submit their letter of intent to move forward, or who later become eligible to apply (i.e. receive a Storefront Retail permit), may still submit a Cannabis Café application after the application portal opens. Please contact the Office of Cannabis to confirm your eligibility and determine next steps.
Cannabis Café Application and Ownership Records
On October 07, 2026, the OOC intends to release the Cannabis Café application link directly to Applicants who have submitted their Letter of Intent (LOI) and responded to any additional actions indicated by the OOC. If you believe your business is eligible to apply for a Cannabis Café permit but do not receive a link, please notify the OOC.
Applicants and Permittees are required to keep their records up-to-date with the OOC. If an Applicant is applying for a Cannabis Café permit and their ownership information has not changed from what the OOC has on file, the OOC will still require submission of corporate governance materials—such as meeting minutes executed after August 07, 2026—confirming the ownership composition as part of the Cannabis Café permit application.
If the applicant’s ownership has changed from what the OOC has on file, they may have to submit a Permit Amendment Request to the OOC and obtain approval before the OOC can provide a link for the business to apply for a Cannabis Café permit. Permit Amendment Requests will include a 45-day timeline for the Applicant to submit all relevant supporting documentation. Applicants are encouraged to review Section 1608 of the SFPC, and relevant bulletins or regulations, to determine whether they must pursue a Permit Amendment Request or disclosure of certain ownership changes.
Providing inaccurate ownership information may result in denial of a Cannabis Café permit application, in addition to other possible enforcement actions.
Additional City Processes
The Cannabis Café permit process is an interdepartmental effort involving multiple City agencies. Cannabis Café Applicants may also need to engage with the following City departments, including but not limited to: the Planning Department, the Department of Building Inspection, the Department of Public Health, the Police Department, and the Entertainment Commission.
Additional Information:
The OOC is unable to advise on tax or entity formation matters and strongly encourages Applicants to consult appropriate tax or legal professionals. Free or reduced fee technical assistance or legal assistance may be available through the Bar Association of San Francisco at no charge.