Exclusive: Palm Desert makes major moves to open up to the marijuana industry
It’s an industry has managed to muster up close to 61 million dollars in tax revenue for California this year. But even with the tough to argue with revenue numbers, Palm Desert had been resisting the trend toward going all in on the recreational marijuana industry. The keyword here is “had”.
After a several-month-long process, Palm Desert city leaders have selected a handful of select spots for the budding industry to bloom in the desert city. City principal planner Eri Ceja headed the effort to place the pot places on the Palm Desert map properly.
“Most of that criteria focused on land-use compatibility, odor control, security, and building facades, and community benefits,” Ceja said.
Dispensaries would have to meet certain sets of very specific criteria, including a 15,000-foot radius around each location.
“We didn’t want to see a concentration or some sort of district form around cannabis,” said Cejia “We did want to see it spread and separate retail businesses throughout the city.”
The selection process saw city officials review more than 30 applications to ultimately decide upon five cultivation sites and six dispensaries.
“I think people will be lining up. I think it will be kind of, maybe, I don’t know. I think it will be good,” said Kelly Renaud, who has shopped at El Paseo for years.
Renaud’s favorite shop in the area is “Decades,” which is right next to an open storefront where a cannabis dispensary is expected to roll out new business.
“Plant medicine is raw medicine, good medicine. It’s got a better spirit than alcohol and I’m all about that,” Renaud said.
The location is one of several spots for cannabis-related businesses throughout the city, recommended by local leaders.
Both Ceja and Renaud are looking forward to seeing more green in the valley.
“It’s a new front. That’s exciting,” Ceja said.
“I think it will be kind of funky cool. Whoever is lucky enough to get that spot to be a dispensary, they’re going to have to do something sexy, El Paseo-ey,” Renaud said.
What’s next includes an appeals process for those eliminated from the application process. After which, the planning commission will hold a public hearing either in late June or early July in which businesses can get city approval and apply for state licenses to open up later this year.
Download the KESQ & CBS Local 2 app on iTunes or Google Play for up-to-the-minute breaking news alerts & more
More: I-Team and Stands for You investigations
Find us on Facebook: KESQ News Channel 3 & CBS Local 2
Follow us on Twitter for breaking news updates: @KESQ & @Local2
We’re on Instagram! @KESQ_News_Channel_3 & @CBSLocal2
Noticias en español: Telemundo 15
