San Francisco lawmakers agreed unanimously to snuff out new smoke shops that sell paraphernalia used by pot smokers in the heart of the city's one-time hippie district.
The Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance Tuesday that places a three-year moratorium on new businesses in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood that sell the smoking equipment.
At least a dozen businesses sell rolling papers, roach clips and glass water pipes along Haight Street, a popular destination for tourists nostalgic for the Summer of Love. The ban does not affect existing shops.
Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi said the shops were crowding out other businesses that serve the needs of neighborhood residents.
Mirkarimi claims the Haight's head shops have led to street dealing, loitering and littering.
