Cannabis Chocolate Maker Wants to Open Store in San Francisco

A high-end maker of cannabis-infused chocolate has signed a tentative deal to open a store in the Westfield San Francisco Centre, which experts say would be the first time a major class-A mall has agreed to house a marijuana-based outlet.

While the deal is not finalized and must win city approvals, Défoncé, a cannabis chocolatier started by a former Apple executive, is seeking to move into a 1,000-square-foot space on the third floor of the mall at Fifth and Market streets, according to the application filed with the city Planning Department.

STATE BY STATE: California Cannabis News

“With our partnership with Westfield Shopping Centre, our exclusive focus will be providing low-dose, high-quality cannabis products designed for the responsible and safe consumption by adults,” Défoncé said in the application. Westfield did not have an official comment on the application.

Défoncé’s chocolate bars are sold widely in cannabis dispensaries, but this would be its first stand-alone shop. In the planning application, Défoncé states that it is busy “opening retail storefronts, pursuing licensing deals and expanding our product lines.”

The Planning Commission is scheduled to consider the application on Oct. 26. It is one of four pending medical cannabis dispensary applications that were allowed to go forward despite a temporary moratorium the Board of Supervisors recently put in place to give the city time to create regulations for sales of recreational cannabis, which become legal next year.

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