Thieves Snatch Over Half a Million in Cannabis from San Francisco Dispensary

Two men were recently caught on camera stealing around $600,000 worth of cannabis and cannabis products from the ReLeaf Herbal Cooperative on Mission Street at Ninth in San Francisco. The thieves took their time, spending two hours going through items at the dispensary.

Police said that around 2 a.m. on December 3, two men broke through the front door of the dispensary by prying the Gate open and smashing the glass door. According to investigators, one man served as a lookout while the other put on latex gloves and cleared out the items, putting them in black bags.

“They went through and took several kinds of products: Edible marijuana, marijuana supplies and a bunch of dried cannabis from this store,” Police Captain Joseph McFadden told KTVU. “The thing was it’s a large amount as far as the monetary value, about $600,000 worth of cannabis.”

A clear image of one of the perpetrators was obtained shortly after at a nearby liquor store. A getaway vehicle is expected to surface, although police have not yet released a description. One eyewitness claims he saw the perpetrators carry away items in a recycling bin.

Large amounts of cannabis and cash make the medical cannabis industry more dangerous than it needs to be. Dispensary owners, for instance, risk their lives in order to pay taxes in cash. With recreational sales scheduled to begin in San Francisco within weeks, these types of dangers could increase.

Neighbors told the media that the thieves are taking the cannabis away from patients who need it, not the business. Both men are described as in their twenties. The San Francisco Police Department is asking the public to assist, by calling their anonymous tip line if you know who the perpetrators are.