Opening statement. Good afternoon. We are here today to discuss the coronavirus, also known as covid 19. We are at a critical point in responding to the Coronavirus Crisis that is facing our nation. Americans are concerned. Hundreds of americans are sick. Sadly, there are families mourning the loss of loved ones from the coronavirus and our hearts are with them. The nation is seeing cases on the rise and experts saying the outbreak is getting worse. In new jersey, we were just informed that we had our first death from coronavirus and at least two dozen schools are closing for coronavirus preparation. We have seen an increase in presumed cases. State and local governments are working tirelessly to limit the spread of the coronavirus in our communities. At the federal level we have seen our experts at the cdc and others other agencies working to address this issue. Unfortunately, we have also seen federal officials offer mixed messages on the seriousness of the coronavirus. We are not he
Mexican . It would have helped me fit in as a kid. I learned about my privilege and that privilege has led me to the streets of oakland. I was arrested in sacramento this year for Stephon Clark and also deployed with the veterans to the pipeline protest in standing rock, north dakota. Ill see you on alcatraz this year for thanksgiving, for the sunrise ceremony and im grateful to serve and grateful for all the advocates here also. Thank you supervisor fewer. Thank you very much. So do you think when were rolling out this Equity Program and were trying to wrong right many of the wrongs we have done around the enforcement of cannabis, do you think we forgotten about our veterans . Thank you for mentioning that. Absolutely, and in the most mill tar listic country in the world, veterans are often an afterthought. Yes, i love the Equity Program, the original equity group that has brought that legislature forward, this culture forward. I think its important to have a separate pathway for vete
Supervisor mar . How important is it that diversity be on this committee . Absolutely. The majority of the veterans i serve are veterans of color, low income, disabled, housing and food insecure, Substance Abuse experience, and what im here to say if youre going to put a white dude on the panel, im the one you want. [laughter] since coming back from the military, like, you could find me when were protesting on the streets of oakland. Im eyeball to eyeball with the police. Im standing between the police and the community, inviting the tear gas and rubber bullets on me to buffer between the Violent Police and the december Desperate Community demanding justice. Im here to leverage those privileges to elevate the communities affected by these terrible policies. Thank you. Next speaker. Chair ronen, supervisors walton, mar, fewer, hello. Im a fifth generation San Francisco native. Im an alum of usf where i received my mba. I want to be on the Cannabis Oversight Committee because i want to b
Income, disabled, food insecure, many with Substance Abuse, with former incarceration and were experiencing transformative results. Were shifting bitter crow money johns to warm members of our community and these are the most vulnerable citizens we have here in San Francisco. Ive been working with the senator for the past two years to get this bill passed at the state level. Its currently on the governors desk and its received unanimous approval from the legislature. I also advocated for multiple cities and at the National Level. I have been involved with the decriminal nature movement. Im here really just to be of Greater Service to this beautiful city. Veteran voices are elevated in the halls of legislature and we mentioned access and how everyone in San Francisco can access cannabis, not my people. A lot of my people have to choose between eating and medicating with cannabis. So im here to serve as that compassion voice. I would like to answer the diversity question up front. Where
Compassion towards our youths here in San Francisco, especially from authorities. That definitely rooted down my approach to cannabis. In 2014, my brother was arrested for cannabis in new york city and sent to a year at wreckers island, and during that time period, we were looking at 3 to 7 years for him. He asked me to take over, potentially launch his business and i did. I took it over and i launched his cannabis business as a delivery service. I attended every meeting in oakland because what would the rollout look like . I asked the question every single time. How do people like my brother come back and how about those incarcerated not get shutout. If you had a conviction, you were not allowed to own a business. I started to realize that my testimonial of being in San Francisco started to harm those in oakland because they were also fighting this whole mass exodus, and feeling like their narratives are getting pushed out. So knowing that my business was in San Francisco and i mostly