Cathedral City receives $4.5M grant to improve cannabis enforcement
Haley Meberg
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – Cathedral City officials announce today a new $4.5 million grant has been awarded to the city to combat illicit cannabis activity.
Officials say the grant will be used to strengthen cannabis enforcement throughout the area creating improvements that they believe will improve the living standard for those in the city.
“This grant builds on the momentum we’ve created with our new cannabis ordinance and is a direct investment in the safety and quality of life of our residents,” City Manager Andrew Firestine said in a statement.
Some of these changes include the volume of law enforcement officers across various departments, modernizing preexisting city regulatory and permitting systems, expansions on environmental and public health protections; as well as addressing issues of hazardous materials, odor impacts and exposure to youth.
The funding comes as a result of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Proposition 64 grants which awarded the state approximately $227 million to help numerous California communities reinforce responses to public health and environmental issues surrounding illegal cannabis operations.
“The voters created a legal, regulated cannabis market and we have a responsibility to make sure it works as intended. That means continuing to crack down on illegal cannabis operations that threaten public safety, exploit workers, damage the environment and undercut legal businesses that follow the rules,” Newsom said in a statement.
Cathedral City has previously taken action to combat this problem by updating ordinances in 2024 following a number of complaints regarding persistent cannabis odors.
Improvements in odor control measurements, clearer enforcement procedures, and stricter time frames for renewals and licensing have been in practice throughout the city, with more underway.
Stay with News Channel 3 for more updates.