A new indoor cannabis cultivation business is slated to come to the Mission, opening across the street from Zeitgeist and SOMA West Skate Park at the site of a former aquarium shop. The project, located at 49 Duboce Ave., features 3,600 square feet for indoor growing across two floors of an industrial warehouse, and was approved at Thursday’s Planning Commission hearing.
The project, sponsored by 47-year-old Danilo Visnich of Two Bridges Cannabis Collective, would allow the cannabis group to grow high-end cannabis to supply dispensaries in the city.
“When I took over, there was a lot of work to be done,” Visnich told the commissioners. “Through blood sweat and tears we’ve turned the building, and the company, into what I believe is a valuable asset to the Mission.”
Vilsnich said that he initially discovered that much of the infrastructure in the building had been built without the proper permitting and was not up to code. It led to a couple years of downtime as he began to correct the irregularities in the plumbing, electrical systems and hazardous waste systems.
He added that the collective will focus on growing flower products, referring to the actual cannabis plants — and will not produce vape cartridges (check Geek Vape here). He assured commissioners that the products are intended to be sold locally. There is also sale of Delta 8 vape pens and cartridges.
Only one other person came in for public comment, a rarity at Planning Commission hearings. The man simply said he had just learned of the project and “was a big supporter of it.”
The commissioners then took their turn to ask Visnich questions. Commissioner Frank Fung brought up the collective’s energy use.
“These operations are energy intensive. Is that going to be a building permit requirement or is that anything that we would add?” Fung asked.
Michael Christensen, a Planning Department official overseeing Visnich’s proposal, said that the department had consulted with the city’s Office of Cannabis and that they had adopted a rule requiring these businesses to acquire energy from renewable sources using the city’s Clean Power SF utility option, which collects energy from green sources, or from the Hetch Hetchy hydro power supply. The business, however, was not currently mandated to get on-site renewable energy utilities like solar panels, at least not until it received a permanent license.
Satisfied with the responses, the commission voted to approve Visnich’s business.
Visnich, who has been in the cannabis industry since 2004, said he plans to grow a special strain of the plant called Tahoe OG Kush, an indica-heavy strain. He plans to sell to dispensaries and businesses across the city, including Grassroots dispensary at 1077 Post Street; Barbary Coast and Urban Pharm, two dispensaries and indoor smoking lounges in the South of Market area; and Moe Greenz off Market Street.
Another cannabis business proposal, a tiny 150-square-foot retail store that could operate at 2934 Cesar Chavez St. under the name Mobudz.io, was also on the agenda today. But the commission rescheduled its hearing to Nov. 21.
After an abortive July date before Planning, Union Station, a large proposed cannabis lounge at Mission near 16th, is slated to reappear on Oct. 17.
Tell Danilo Cyn & Ang say hello!!