To cannabis or not to cannibis? Former Oakland Mayor meets opposition for dispensary

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- An empty storefront in the Sunset District -- remnants of an old drug store inside, and outside. It's the promise of a possible cannabis future -- if it only were that simple.

"Shame on you," said one protester. "Supposed to be a role model."

Hence the hot tempers at an appearance by former Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, who with her physician husband, is now in the midst of a San Francisco neighborhood fight. They would be part owners of a marijuana dispensary.

"Politicians are always easy targets," Quan told ABC7 News.

When asked if she expected such difficulty she said, "I never expected such vehemence."

"We want to shine the light that this opposition is being spearheaded by a right-wing hate group," said dispensary supporter Eliot Dobris.

And so, it turned into 12 pro-cannabis demonstrators in the neighborhood, more than 100 opposed to the dispensary on the other side, everything orchestrated.

"I cannot even stand it," said one protester. "Horrible smell."

Among their concerns is that the dispensary would open within shouting distance of the Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit, which has an afternoon daycare center.

Parents worry about the proximity of their kids, and drivers under the influence of cannabis.

"Not near my children, sorry," said one parent.

The pro-cannabis camp says these protesters do not represent the majority of the neighborhood.

"What is the real problem with a dispensary," questioned pro-dispensary resident Floyd Andrews. "What problems compared to a liquor store."