David Sjostedt

Fentanyl in San Francisco isn’t what it used to be, drug users say. A more diluted version of the lethal opioid, called “soap” in some circles, is fueling fits of desperation on city streets.

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Fentanyl in San Francisco isn’t what it used to be, drug users say. A more diluted version of the lethal opioid, called “soap” in some circles, is fueling fits of desperation on city streets.

More than a year into a drug crackdown that has resulted in thousands of arrests and the seizure of over one hundred kilos of drugs, users in the Tenderloin neighborhood say they’re starting to see a trickle-down effect in the drug supply —&nbsp;and on their wallets. The overpriced “soap” that now litters the fentanyl market is spurring robberies and, counterintuitively, making it more difficult to escape homelessness and addiction as users seek larger quantities of the drug, they say.&nbsp;

More than a year into a drug crackdown that has resulted in thousands of arrests and the seizure of over one hundred kilos of drugs, users in the Tenderloin neighborhood say they’re starting to see a trickle-down effect in the drug supply —&nbsp;and on their wallets. The overpriced “soap” that now litters the fentanyl market is spurring robberies and, counterintuitively, making it more difficult to escape homelessness and addiction as users seek larger quantities of the drug, they say.&nbsp;

It’s unclear what’s causing the decline in quality, but some users attribute it to the city’s crackdown on the visible drug scene in the Tenderloin. Since May 2023, local police have made 1,148 arrests related to drug dealing, 1,438 arrests for drug use and have seized more than 109,000 grams of fentanyl.&nbsp;

It’s unclear what’s causing the decline in quality, but some users attribute it to the city’s crackdown on the visible drug scene in the Tenderloin. Since May 2023, local police have made 1,148 arrests related to drug dealing, 1,438 arrests for drug use and have seized more than 109,000 grams of fentanyl.&nbsp;

Samuel Boles said he used to visit San Francisco twice a month to pick up fentanyl when he lived in a trailer in Mendocino. But as the quality of the drugs declined, his visits became more frequent, until he found himself living on the city’s streets.&nbsp;

Samuel Boles said he used to visit San Francisco twice a month to pick up fentanyl when he lived in a trailer in Mendocino. But as the quality of the drugs declined, his visits became more frequent, until he found himself living on the city’s streets.&nbsp;

“There’s only one or two people in town who actually have anything good,” Boles said, sitting on a Tenderloin sidewalk surrounded by suitcases filled with his belongings. “It’s extremely difficult for people living outside the city.”

“There’s only one or two people in town who actually have anything good,” Boles said, sitting on a Tenderloin sidewalk surrounded by suitcases filled with his belongings. “It’s extremely difficult for people living outside the city.”

Samuel Boles used to commute from Mendocino to pick up fentanyl, he said. But as the quality decreased, he moved to the city, in need of more frequent doses.

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/dsc07184.jpg?w=2500" alt="A man in a worn-out shirt and cap sits by a wall covered in graffiti with a suitcase and blanket in front of him. A woman partially appears on the left." class="wp-image-300138"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Samuel Boles used to commute from Mendocino to pick up fentanyl, he said. But as the quality decreased, he moved to the city, in need of more frequent doses.</figcaption></figure>

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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/dsc07184.jpg?w=2500" alt="A man in a worn-out shirt and cap sits by a wall covered in graffiti with a suitcase and blanket in front of him. A woman partially appears on the left." class="wp-image-300138"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Samuel Boles used to commute from Mendocino to pick up fentanyl, he said. But as the quality decreased, he moved to the city, in need of more frequent doses.</figcaption></figure>

San Francisco has earned a reputation for cheap fentanyl, notching prices below those in other major U.S. cities, according to Drug Enforcement Agency <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/01/22/cheap-street-fentanyl-san-francisco/">data analyzed by The Standard</a>. However, purity levels of the drug tend to range lower than in other places, partly accounting for the price difference. Now, users say, poor-quality fentanyl has gone up in price locally, and most dealers don’t offer refunds.&nbsp;

Why is fentanyl drastically cheaper in San Francisco than in LA, NYC and Philly?

San Francisco has earned a reputation for cheap fentanyl, notching prices below those in other major U.S. cities, according to Drug Enforcement Agency <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/01/22/cheap-street-fentanyl-san-francisco/">data analyzed by The Standard</a>. However, purity levels of the drug tend to range lower than in other places, partly accounting for the price difference. Now, users say, poor-quality fentanyl has gone up in price locally, and most dealers don’t offer refunds.&nbsp;

“It’s just money down the drain,” said a man named Mo, who said he was homeless and declined to give his last name. “If it’s used, you can’t take it back.”

“It’s just money down the drain,” said a man named Mo, who said he was homeless and declined to give his last name. “If it’s used, you can’t take it back.”

Proponents of stricter drug laws say weaker drugs with higher prices are a deterrent that pushes users to seek recovery. Cedric Akbar, director of forensic services at Westside Community Services, said his drug treatment programs have seen an uptick in clients since May. &#8220;We&#8217;re starting to get more and more people,&#8221; Akbar said. &#8220;Do they stay? That&#8217;s a whole other thing.&#8221;

Proponents of stricter drug laws say weaker drugs with higher prices are a deterrent that pushes users to seek recovery. Cedric Akbar, director of forensic services at Westside Community Services, said his drug treatment programs have seen an uptick in clients since May. "We're starting to get more and more people," Akbar said. "Do they stay? That's a whole other thing."

Proponents of stricter drug laws say weaker drugs with higher prices are a deterrent that pushes users to seek recovery. Cedric Akbar, director of forensic services at Westside Community Services, said his drug treatment programs have seen an uptick in clients since May. &#8220;We&#8217;re starting to get more and more people,&#8221; Akbar said. &#8220;Do they stay? That&#8217;s a whole other thing.&#8221;

A woman displays crumbs of fentanyl inside of a plastic container. Drug users say the purity of fentanyl in the city has decreased in recent months.

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/dsc07186.jpg?w=2500" alt="A person holds a small pink container with white residue. In the background, people sit near a suitcase, scattered bags, a dog, and drinks." class="wp-image-300139"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A woman displays crumbs of fentanyl in a plastic container. Drug users say the purity of fentanyl in the city has decreased in recent months.</figcaption></figure>

Some people with addiction say that, lately, it&#8217;s harder to get through the day. Karl Ramsey, who lives in subsidized housing in the Tenderloin, said he’s sometimes unable to carry out simple tasks due to withdrawal symptoms.&nbsp;

Some people with addiction say that, lately, it's harder to get through the day. Karl Ramsey, who lives in subsidized housing in the Tenderloin, said he’s sometimes unable to carry out simple tasks due to withdrawal symptoms.&nbsp;

Some people with addiction say that, lately, it&#8217;s harder to get through the day. Karl Ramsey, who lives in subsidized housing in the Tenderloin, said he’s sometimes unable to carry out simple tasks due to withdrawal symptoms.&nbsp;

“It’s almost harder to quit now that it’s worse,” Ramsey said. “It makes it harder to make it to appointments.” The Department of Public Health and San Francisco Police Department said they don’t track the purity of street drugs. But data from the DEA show that fentanyl purity across California has decreased from an average 29% last year to 23% this year —&nbsp;still “really high,” a spokesperson noted.&nbsp;

“It’s almost harder to quit now that it’s worse,” Ramsey said. “It makes it harder to make it to appointments.” The Department of Public Health and San Francisco Police Department said they don’t track the purity of street drugs. But data from the DEA show that fentanyl purity across California has decreased from an average 29% last year to 23% this year —&nbsp;still “really high,” a spokesperson noted.&nbsp;

The San Francisco AIDS Foundation and GLIDE test individual batches of drugs for clients but don’t track citywide data on the supply.&nbsp;

The San Francisco AIDS Foundation and GLIDE test individual batches of drugs for clients but don’t track citywide data on the supply.&nbsp;

“In an unregulated drug supply, ingredients and potency are always shifting,” the AIDS Foundation said in a statement. “Since [we] started offering drug checking services, the relative amount of fentanyl in the fentanyl samples we have analyzed has been highly variable.”&nbsp;

“In an unregulated drug supply, ingredients and potency are always shifting,” the AIDS Foundation said in a statement. “Since [we] started offering drug checking services, the relative amount of fentanyl in the fentanyl samples we have analyzed has been highly variable.”&nbsp;

Samuel Boles picks through tin foil looking for crumbs of fentanyl.

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/dsc07208.jpg?w=2500" alt="A person is sitting on the ground with a yellow bag open beside them. They're holding small pieces of crumpled aluminum foil. Nearby, there's a can of soda and a patterned bag." class="wp-image-300143"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Boles picks through tin foil looking for crumbs of fentanyl.</figcaption></figure>

Donna Hilliard, executive director of the nonprofit Code Tenderloin, said many of her clients have complained about the quality of fentanyl in recent months, and it’s creating a hostile environment on the streets.

Donna Hilliard, executive director of the nonprofit Code Tenderloin, said many of her clients have complained about the quality of fentanyl in recent months, and it’s creating a hostile environment on the streets.

“This lady was telling me she did the test, and it was only 2% fentanyl,” Hilliard said. “It was, like, fingernail-polish remover and all this other crap.”

“This lady was telling me she did the test, and it was only 2% fentanyl,” Hilliard said. “It was, like, fingernail-polish remover and all this other crap.”

A man named Ace, who is homeless and refused to give his last name, said he can taste when his fentanyl is “stepped on,” meaning it has been cut with other substances. He said the shifting drug supply makes him more afraid of overdosing.

A man named Ace, who is homeless and refused to give his last name, said he can taste when his fentanyl is “stepped on,” meaning it has been cut with other substances. He said the shifting drug supply makes him more afraid of overdosing.

“You’ve got to make the hardest choice ever,” Ace said. “Do I use something that doesn&#8217;t taste good to me? I’m taking a risk higher than what I would usually take.”&nbsp;

“You’ve got to make the hardest choice ever,” Ace said. “Do I use something that doesn't taste good to me? I’m taking a risk higher than what I would usually take.”&nbsp;

“You’ve got to make the hardest choice ever,” Ace said. “Do I use something that doesn&#8217;t taste good to me? I’m taking a risk higher than what I would usually take.”&nbsp;

Others argue that the decreasing potency is a victory in the city’s fight against the overdose crisis, which reached unprecedented levels last year.&nbsp;In June, the city’s overdose death toll was 48, the lowest since July 2022, according to <a href="https://www.sf.gov/sites/default/files/2024-07/2024%2007_OCME%20Overdose%20Report.pdf">preliminary data</a>. However, the data are known to fluctuate wildly from one month to another without explanation. &#8220;It&#8217;s a good thing,&#8221; said Cregg Johnson, founder of the nonprofit Positive Directions Equals Changes, of the decreased potency. &#8220;It&#8217;s going to help address the ODs, because the dope is death.&#8221;

Others argue that the decreasing potency is a victory in the city’s fight against the overdose crisis, which reached unprecedented levels last year.&nbsp;In June, the city’s overdose death toll was 48, the lowest since July 2022, according to <a href="https://www.sf.gov/sites/default/files/2024-07/2024%2007_OCME%20Overdose%20Report.pdf">preliminary data</a>. However, the data are known to fluctuate wildly from one month to another without explanation. "It's a good thing," said Cregg Johnson, founder of the nonprofit Positive Directions Equals Changes, of the decreased potency. "It's going to help address the ODs, because the dope is death."

Others argue that the decreasing potency is a victory in the city’s fight against the overdose crisis, which reached unprecedented levels last year.&nbsp;In June, the city’s overdose death toll was 48, the lowest since July 2022, according to <a href="https://www.sf.gov/sites/default/files/2024-07/2024%2007_OCME%20Overdose%20Report.pdf">preliminary data</a>. However, the data are known to fluctuate wildly from one month to another without explanation. &#8220;It&#8217;s a good thing,&#8221; said Cregg Johnson, founder of the nonprofit Positive Directions Equals Changes, of the decreased potency. &#8220;It&#8217;s going to help address the ODs, because the dope is death.&#8221;

But several users told The Standard they are unable to simply quit using fentanyl, which they describe as their medicine, and that the increasing drug busts have made their lives less safe.

But several users told The Standard they are unable to simply quit using fentanyl, which they describe as their medicine, and that the increasing drug busts have made their lives less safe.

“People get crazy,” Boles said. “They start robbing and hurting each other.”

“People get crazy,” Boles said. “They start robbing and hurting each other.”

Weak fentanyl named ‘soap’ is flooding the market — and spurring robberies

Garrett Leahy

Liquor stores in San Francisco&#8217;s most troubled neighborhood are more than a place to buy booze and cigarettes for people living on the city&#8217;s streets. The sidewalks in front of some Tenderloin neighborhood corner markets serve as gathering places for people to use drugs and sell stolen goods. The shops also conveniently sell pipes, torches and anything else needed to use drugs late into the night. This week, Mayor London Breed <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/04/23/breed-tenderloin-corner-store-curfew/">proposed legislation</a> that would force markets in the Tenderloin to close after midnight, threatening $1,000 fines for every hour shops stay open after this curfew.

Mayor&#8217;s latest drug crackdown plan: Close Tenderloin stores earlier

Liquor stores in San Francisco's most troubled neighborhood are more than a place to buy booze and cigarettes for people living on the city's streets. The sidewalks in front of some Tenderloin neighborhood corner markets serve as gathering places for people to use drugs and sell stolen goods. The shops also conveniently sell pipes, torches and anything else needed to use drugs late into the night. This week, Mayor London Breed <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/04/23/breed-tenderloin-corner-store-curfew/">proposed legislation</a> that would force markets in the Tenderloin to close after midnight, threatening $1,000 fines for every hour shops stay open after this curfew.

Liquor stores in San Francisco&#8217;s most troubled neighborhood are more than a place to buy booze and cigarettes for people living on the city&#8217;s streets. The sidewalks in front of some Tenderloin neighborhood corner markets serve as gathering places for people to use drugs and sell stolen goods. The shops also conveniently sell pipes, torches and anything else needed to use drugs late into the night. This week, Mayor London Breed <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/04/23/breed-tenderloin-corner-store-curfew/">proposed legislation</a> that would force markets in the Tenderloin to close after midnight, threatening $1,000 fines for every hour shops stay open after this curfew.

Breed has alleged these late-night retail shops in the Tenderloin are attracting illegal behavior and undermining the city&#8217;s progress in breaking up drug markets. The curfew would be in place for one year under a pilot program if approved.

Breed has alleged these late-night retail shops in the Tenderloin are attracting illegal behavior and undermining the city's progress in breaking up drug markets. The curfew would be in place for one year under a pilot program if approved.

Breed has alleged these late-night retail shops in the Tenderloin are attracting illegal behavior and undermining the city&#8217;s progress in breaking up drug markets. The curfew would be in place for one year under a pilot program if approved.

&#8220;Tenderloin residents, businesses, and workers deserve safe streets not just during the day, but also at night,&#8221; Breed said in an earlier statement. &#8220;The drug markets happening at night in this neighborhood are unacceptable and must be met with increased law enforcement and new strategies.&#8221;

"Tenderloin residents, businesses, and workers deserve safe streets not just during the day, but also at night," Breed said in an earlier statement. "The drug markets happening at night in this neighborhood are unacceptable and must be met with increased law enforcement and new strategies."

&#8220;Tenderloin residents, businesses, and workers deserve safe streets not just during the day, but also at night,&#8221; Breed said in an earlier statement. &#8220;The drug markets happening at night in this neighborhood are unacceptable and must be met with increased law enforcement and new strategies.&#8221;

San Francisco Mayor London Breed, center, during the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing’s biennial Point-in-Time Count of homeless and unhoused people on the street on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024 from 8PM to midnight. According to Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, the count covered all 47 square miles of San Francisco and used administrative data for people staying in City shelters, emergency shelters and transitional housing. The final report will include more detailed information about people experiencing homelessness including demographics, veteran status, and chronic homelessness.

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/20240220propaprewrite-03.jpg?w=2500" alt="A woman stands on the sidewalk in a hoodie." class="wp-image-255209"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">San Francisco Mayor London Breed, center, stands in the Tenderloin during the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing’s biennial Point-in-Time Count of homeless people in January.</figcaption></figure>

Standing in front of Plaza Snacks &amp; Deli at 77 McAllister St., Cole H., a fentanyl user who lives in the Sunset who declined to share his full name due to privacy concerns, said that while he lives far from the Tenderloin corner store, he comes there late at night to buy soda and &#8220;gabnails,&#8221; a metal nail that, when heated, can turn fentanyl-laced &#8220;wax&#8221; into smoke he inhales to get high.

Standing in front of Plaza Snacks &amp; Deli at 77 McAllister St., Cole H., a fentanyl user who lives in the Sunset who declined to share his full name due to privacy concerns, said that while he lives far from the Tenderloin corner store, he comes there late at night to buy soda and "gabnails," a metal nail that, when heated, can turn fentanyl-laced "wax" into smoke he inhales to get high.

Standing in front of Plaza Snacks &amp; Deli at 77 McAllister St., Cole H., a fentanyl user who lives in the Sunset who declined to share his full name due to privacy concerns, said that while he lives far from the Tenderloin corner store, he comes there late at night to buy soda and &#8220;gabnails,&#8221; a metal nail that, when heated, can turn fentanyl-laced &#8220;wax&#8221; into smoke he inhales to get high.

&#8220;I usually buy something to drink, paraphernalia,&#8221; Cole said. &#8220;But I can&#8217;t always buy it right away. Usually, I have to make a little money first,&#8221; Cole added, admitting that he sometimes has to sell stolen goods to come up with the money to buy supplies to use drugs.

"I usually buy something to drink, paraphernalia," Cole said. "But I can't always buy it right away. Usually, I have to make a little money first," Cole added, admitting that he sometimes has to sell stolen goods to come up with the money to buy supplies to use drugs.

&#8220;I usually buy something to drink, paraphernalia,&#8221; Cole said. &#8220;But I can&#8217;t always buy it right away. Usually, I have to make a little money first,&#8221; Cole added, admitting that he sometimes has to sell stolen goods to come up with the money to buy supplies to use drugs.

Outside the Los Primos convenience store at 147 Hyde St., Tenderloin resident and fentanyl user Derek Francis said he only buys soda, often Mountain Dew or other caffeinated soft drinks, from Tenderloin corner stores. While he knows Los Primos and other Tenderloin corner stores sell glass pipes, he thinks they are mainly novelty items that happen to be used to smoke drugs like fentanyl.

Outside the Los Primos convenience store at 147 Hyde St., Tenderloin resident and fentanyl user Derek Francis said he only buys soda, often Mountain Dew or other caffeinated soft drinks, from Tenderloin corner stores. While he knows Los Primos and other Tenderloin corner stores sell glass pipes, he thinks they are mainly novelty items that happen to be used to smoke drugs like fentanyl.

Derek Francis and his dog DayZ sit outside Tenderloin corner store Los Primos on 189 Hyde St. 

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/img_1425.jpg?w=2500" alt="A man sits on the sidewalk." class="wp-image-270024"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Derek Francis and his dog DayZ sit outside Tenderloin corner store Los Primos on 189 Hyde St. </figcaption></figure>

&#8220;Yeah, but they have those cylindrical pipes in corner stores across the country,” Francis said. &#8220;They have like <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2006/04/05/a-rose-with-another-name-crack-pipe/430fc938-18e4-4457-bcd1-72601deb118d/">little roses in them</a>, like a gimmick.&#8221;

"Yeah, but they have those cylindrical pipes in corner stores across the country,” Francis said. "They have like <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2006/04/05/a-rose-with-another-name-crack-pipe/430fc938-18e4-4457-bcd1-72601deb118d/">little roses in them</a>, like a gimmick."

&#8220;Yeah, but they have those cylindrical pipes in corner stores across the country,” Francis said. &#8220;They have like <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2006/04/05/a-rose-with-another-name-crack-pipe/430fc938-18e4-4457-bcd1-72601deb118d/">little roses in them</a>, like a gimmick.&#8221;

The Standard witnessed a shopkeeper at Los Primos measure out and sell $3 strips of tin foil—used on the streets to smoke drugs.

The Standard witnessed a shopkeeper at Los Primos measure out and sell $3 strips of tin foil—used on the streets to smoke drugs.

Los Primos manager Aziz Mo admitted to selling the foil scraps at the store.

Los Primos manager Aziz Mo admitted to selling the foil scraps at the store.

&#8220;We sell aluminum foil, but if we didn&#8217;t, people would just get it from a store, from the shelf,&#8221; Mo said. &#8220;If I don&#8217;t sell it, they would just steal a whole roll from Target, Safeway.&#8221;

"We sell aluminum foil, but if we didn't, people would just get it from a store, from the shelf," Mo said. "If I don't sell it, they would just steal a whole roll from Target, Safeway."

&#8220;We sell aluminum foil, but if we didn&#8217;t, people would just get it from a store, from the shelf,&#8221; Mo said. &#8220;If I don&#8217;t sell it, they would just steal a whole roll from Target, Safeway.&#8221;

Fentanyl is their drug, sugar is their vice. Users explain their desperate need for candy

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Mo also admitted he sells bongs and pipes at Los Primos, as many as 60 a month.

Mo also admitted he sells bongs and pipes at Los Primos, as many as 60 a month.

&#8220;Like two or three a day,&#8221; Mo said.

"Like two or three a day," Mo said.

&#8220;Like two or three a day,&#8221; Mo said.

At Plaza Snacks &amp; Deli, The Standard witnessed illegal street vendors ask for cardboard to sell their wares from.

At Plaza Snacks &amp; Deli, The Standard witnessed illegal street vendors ask for cardboard to sell their wares from.

Plaza Snacks &amp; Deli co-owner Ray, who declined to share his last name, said he and his workers do not provide cardboard to illegal vendors.

Plaza Snacks &amp; Deli co-owner Ray, who declined to share his last name, said he and his workers do not provide cardboard to illegal vendors.

People peruse an unofficial night market on the corner of Charles J. Brenham Place and McAllister Street in San Francisco on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. There are children in U.N. Plaza in San Francisco in the evening hours selling drugs and according to the City, and there have been over 50 kids that have been taken in custody due to the illicit activity.

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/inline-06-20240215_unplazayouthmarket.jpg?w=2500" alt="A bustling night scene outside 'Plaza Snacks &amp; Deli', with a crowd of people on the sidewalk." class="wp-image-255907"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">People peruse an unofficial night market on the corner of Charles J. Brenham Place and McAllister Street in February.</figcaption></figure>

“We never provide them anything,” Ray said. “We just collect whatever is left behind and recycle it at Pier 96.&#8221;

“We never provide them anything,” Ray said. “We just collect whatever is left behind and recycle it at Pier 96."

“We never provide them anything,” Ray said. “We just collect whatever is left behind and recycle it at Pier 96.&#8221;

Ray said drug paraphernalia—The Standard observed torches and butane tanks for sale—is &#8220;only 1% of the store.&#8221;

Ray said drug paraphernalia—The Standard observed torches and butane tanks for sale—is "only 1% of the store."

Ray said drug paraphernalia—The Standard observed torches and butane tanks for sale—is &#8220;only 1% of the store.&#8221;

&#8220;We make maybe $1,000 a month on that,&#8221; Ray said, who would not say if he sells other supplies for drug use.

"We make maybe $1,000 a month on that," Ray said, who would not say if he sells other supplies for drug use.

&#8220;We make maybe $1,000 a month on that,&#8221; Ray said, who would not say if he sells other supplies for drug use.

Some late-night street vendors have alleged that some shopkeepers around the neighborhood buy <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2022/02/10/how-san-francisco-black-market-thrives-off-retail-theft/">stolen products</a> from street vendors to sell in their stores. Neither Plaza Snacks &amp; Deli nor Los Primos was named by vendors as a shop engaging in this activity.

‘You can get anything’: How SF’s black market thrives off retail theft

Some late-night street vendors have alleged that some shopkeepers around the neighborhood buy <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2022/02/10/how-san-francisco-black-market-thrives-off-retail-theft/">stolen products</a> from street vendors to sell in their stores. Neither Plaza Snacks &amp; Deli nor Los Primos was named by vendors as a shop engaging in this activity.

Both Ray and Mo denied stocking their stores with goods from illegal street vendors.

Both Ray and Mo denied stocking their stores with goods from illegal street vendors.

&#8220;That&#8217;s a big no-no for us,&#8221; Mo said.

"That's a big no-no for us," Mo said.

&#8220;That&#8217;s a big no-no for us,&#8221; Mo said.

&#8220;Hell, no,&#8221; Ray said. &#8220;We have receipts. The city can come and inspect [the store] anytime. That’s a lie, and that’s accusing.”

"Hell, no," Ray said. "We have receipts. The city can come and inspect [the store] anytime. That’s a lie, and that’s accusing.”

&#8220;Hell, no,&#8221; Ray said. &#8220;We have receipts. The city can come and inspect [the store] anytime. That’s a lie, and that’s accusing.”

Plaza Snack & Deli co-owner Ray, who declined to share his last name, shows receipts of food he bought to stock his corner store during an interview with The Standard Tuesday.

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/img_1419.jpg?w=2500" alt="A man shows a pile of reciepts." class="wp-image-270030"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Plaza Snack &amp; Deli co-owner Ray, who declined to share his last name, shows receipts of food he bought to stock his corner store during an interview with The Standard Tuesday.</figcaption></figure>

Ray said he buys roughly $1,300 a week of dry goods like Pop-Tarts from a vendor, Pitco Foods, and showed a pile of receipts to The Standard. Ray said the most popular items in his store are milk and snacks like chips, soda, <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/02/18/candy-sells-faster-fentanyl-san-francisco/">candy</a>, cereal and pastries.

Candy sells faster than fentanyl in San Francisco’s open-air drug markets

Ray said he buys roughly $1,300 a week of dry goods like Pop-Tarts from a vendor, Pitco Foods, and showed a pile of receipts to The Standard. Ray said the most popular items in his store are milk and snacks like chips, soda, <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/02/18/candy-sells-faster-fentanyl-san-francisco/">candy</a>, cereal and pastries.

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Shopkeepers and customers both said Breed&#8217;s planned curfew is a waste of time.

Shopkeepers and customers both said Breed's planned curfew is a waste of time.

Shopkeepers and customers both said Breed&#8217;s planned curfew is a waste of time.

&#8220;I don’t think they can really stop the illegal market here,&#8221; Cole said. &#8220;I think it’s a dumb law.&#8221;

"I don’t think they can really stop the illegal market here," Cole said. "I think it’s a dumb law."

&#8220;I don’t think they can really stop the illegal market here,&#8221; Cole said. &#8220;I think it’s a dumb law.&#8221;

Ray also thinks the plan is a waste of time.

Ray also thinks the plan is a waste of time.

&#8220;It’s not going to change anything. These people are homeless; they have nowhere to go,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They should put more officers on the street, clean up the street and not blame the small businesses.&#8221;

"It’s not going to change anything. These people are homeless; they have nowhere to go," he said. "They should put more officers on the street, clean up the street and not blame the small businesses."

&#8220;It’s not going to change anything. These people are homeless; they have nowhere to go,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They should put more officers on the street, clean up the street and not blame the small businesses.&#8221;

Drug user Francis said closing the stores early won&#8217;t prevent people from gathering outside to sell and use drugs.

Drug user Francis said closing the stores early won't prevent people from gathering outside to sell and use drugs.

Drug user Francis said closing the stores early won&#8217;t prevent people from gathering outside to sell and use drugs.

&#8220;People aren’t here for the store. They’re here for the drugs,&#8221; Francis said. &#8220;She wants to cut down the stores&#8217; time, but it’s not their fault what we do.”

"People aren’t here for the store. They’re here for the drugs," Francis said. "She wants to cut down the stores' time, but it’s not their fault what we do.”

&#8220;People aren’t here for the store. They’re here for the drugs,&#8221; Francis said. &#8220;She wants to cut down the stores&#8217; time, but it’s not their fault what we do.”

Unhoused San Franciscans line up outside the Tenderloin Center in San Francisco on June 17, 2022.

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/tenderloinLinkageCenter_INLIEND02.jpg?w=2500" alt="The drug center in UN Plaza." class="wp-image-55729"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Drug users lined up outside the Tenderloin Center, a now-closed safe consumption site, in 2022.</figcaption></figure>

Francis said slashing store hours to try and get rid of drug users and dealers amounts to an about-face on drug policy by the city, remembering the ill-fated <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2022/06/17/a-lifesaver-worries-uncertainty-surround-tenderloin-centers-closure/">Tenderloin Center</a>, which was known as a <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2022/05/11/much-touted-tenderloin-linkage-center-morphs-into-a-safe-consumption-site-for-drug-use-despite-legal-risks/">de facto safe drug use site</a> before it closed in December 2022. The site <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2022/11/30/tenderloin-center-clients-warn-of-disaster-as-controversial-drug-site-heads-for-closure/">reversed hundreds</a> of opioid overdoses during the 11 months it was open.

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Francis said slashing store hours to try and get rid of drug users and dealers amounts to an about-face on drug policy by the city, remembering the ill-fated <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2022/06/17/a-lifesaver-worries-uncertainty-surround-tenderloin-centers-closure/">Tenderloin Center</a>, which was known as a <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2022/05/11/much-touted-tenderloin-linkage-center-morphs-into-a-safe-consumption-site-for-drug-use-despite-legal-risks/">de facto safe drug use site</a> before it closed in December 2022. The site <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2022/11/30/tenderloin-center-clients-warn-of-disaster-as-controversial-drug-site-heads-for-closure/">reversed hundreds</a> of opioid overdoses during the 11 months it was open.

&#8220;You encourage people to shoot up, and then you take that away,&#8221; Francis said. &#8220;Everyone&#8217;s still addicted.&#8221;

"You encourage people to shoot up, and then you take that away," Francis said. "Everyone's still addicted."

&#8220;You encourage people to shoot up, and then you take that away,&#8221; Francis said. &#8220;Everyone&#8217;s still addicted.&#8221;

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George Kelly

Levi Hunt was riding the escalator down to the Civic Center BART platform Tuesday morning when he was approached by a man who appeared to be homeless. The man, who had sickly gray eyes and slurred speech, asked Hunt for change.&nbsp;

Levi Hunt was riding the escalator down to the Civic Center BART platform Tuesday morning when he was approached by a man who appeared to be homeless. The man, who had sickly gray eyes and slurred speech, asked Hunt for change.&nbsp;

“I&#8217;m texting my daughter as I&#8217;m coming off the escalator, so I have my wallet and my phone out, and he walks right up to the wallet,” said Hunt, 35. “I didn&#8217;t know how to respond. So I just said nothing and walked away.”

“I'm texting my daughter as I'm coming off the escalator, so I have my wallet and my phone out, and he walks right up to the wallet,” said Hunt, 35. “I didn't know how to respond. So I just said nothing and walked away.”

“I&#8217;m texting my daughter as I&#8217;m coming off the escalator, so I have my wallet and my phone out, and he walks right up to the wallet,” said Hunt, 35. “I didn&#8217;t know how to respond. So I just said nothing and walked away.”

Hunt, who lives in Lower Nob Hill, then stood on the platform and waited for the approaching train to Millbrae, where he works as a comic book dealer.&nbsp;

Hunt, who lives in Lower Nob Hill, then stood on the platform and waited for the approaching train to Millbrae, where he works as a comic book dealer.&nbsp;

The man who’d approached him slumped over on the platform. Hunt said his appearance and behavior appeared to indicate opioid impairment.

The man who’d approached him slumped over on the platform. Hunt said his appearance and behavior appeared to indicate opioid impairment.

Moments later, as the train arrived at high speed, Hunt watched in horror as the man leaped to his death in front of the Millbrae-bound train.

Moments later, as the train arrived at high speed, Hunt watched in horror as the man leaped to his death in front of the Millbrae-bound train.

He has since been identified as Justin Angelo Thompson, 34, who has no listed residency, according to the chief medical examiner’s office.&nbsp;

He has since been identified as Justin Angelo Thompson, 34, who has no listed residency, according to the chief medical examiner’s office.&nbsp;

Hunt described the incident as &#8220;fentanyl-assisted suicide.&#8221;&nbsp;

Hunt described the incident as "fentanyl-assisted suicide."&nbsp;

Hunt described the incident as &#8220;fentanyl-assisted suicide.&#8221;&nbsp;

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&#8220;He does a beeline for the train as it approaches the track. Without a second, he jumps down in front of it. There was no time delay. It approached, he shuffled, ran, and jumped. It was like a chainsaw going through butter,&#8221; Hunt said. &#8220;There was no resistance.&#8221;

"He does a beeline for the train as it approaches the track. Without a second, he jumps down in front of it. There was no time delay. It approached, he shuffled, ran, and jumped. It was like a chainsaw going through butter," Hunt said. "There was no resistance."

&#8220;He does a beeline for the train as it approaches the track. Without a second, he jumps down in front of it. There was no time delay. It approached, he shuffled, ran, and jumped. It was like a chainsaw going through butter,&#8221; Hunt said. &#8220;There was no resistance.&#8221;

Hunt believes he was the only witness. He said other commuters were distracted, &#8220;their faces so close to their phones that they&#8217;re unaware of even each other.&#8221;

Hunt believes he was the only witness. He said other commuters were distracted, "their faces so close to their phones that they're unaware of even each other."

Hunt believes he was the only witness. He said other commuters were distracted, &#8220;their faces so close to their phones that they&#8217;re unaware of even each other.&#8221;

When the train came to a stop, Hunt ran to alert station staff but found no BART employees at the kiosk.&nbsp;

When the train came to a stop, Hunt ran to alert station staff but found no BART employees at the kiosk.&nbsp;

A custodian pointed out an emergency call box that connected Hunt to BART dispatch. He used it to report what he had seen before leaving to catch a train at Powell Street station.

A custodian pointed out an emergency call box that connected Hunt to BART dispatch. He used it to report what he had seen before leaving to catch a train at Powell Street station.

“It&#8217;s Tuesday morning. Usually, there&#8217;s BART police down in Civic Center. Usually, there&#8217;s two or three BART employees or conductors at the windows, but it was just an oddball Tuesday-morning ghost town,” Hunt said. “There&#8217;s like, not a lot of riders, not a lot of commotion. It was just very ominous.”

“It's Tuesday morning. Usually, there's BART police down in Civic Center. Usually, there's two or three BART employees or conductors at the windows, but it was just an oddball Tuesday-morning ghost town,” Hunt said. “There's like, not a lot of riders, not a lot of commotion. It was just very ominous.”

“It&#8217;s Tuesday morning. Usually, there&#8217;s BART police down in Civic Center. Usually, there&#8217;s two or three BART employees or conductors at the windows, but it was just an oddball Tuesday-morning ghost town,” Hunt said. “There&#8217;s like, not a lot of riders, not a lot of commotion. It was just very ominous.”

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Weak fentanyl named ‘soap’ is flooding the market — and spurring robberies

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‘Fentanyl-assisted suicide’: Homeless man jumped in front of BART train, witness says

The Mission is the new Tenderloin

Opinion: San Francisco has enabled drug users for too long. It’s time for compassion—with accountability