Exclusive: Cannabis business owner defends herself after Palm Springs alleges illegal grow operation

A Palm Springs cannabis owner is defending herself after the city revoked all three of her licenses amid allegations that she was illegally cultivating in a space she was not licensed to.

Joy Meredith is a familiar name for many in Palm Springs. In an exclusive interview with News Channel 3's Jake Ingrassia, she said she's fighting back against her businesses being shut down in an appeal she's now filed.

"It's a very disappointing situation right now and we're trying to get to the bottom of it," Meredith said.

Meredith's previously permitted cannabis grow location is in an industrial unit on W. San Rafael Dr. in North Palm Springs.

A letter sent last month by the Palm Springs city attorney said inspectors in August found evidence of illegal cannabis cultivation in a neighboring space.

Meredith is only licensed for cannabis cultivation in Unit #6. Code enforcement officers said they reviewed video surveillance footage provided to them by Meredith, showing hundreds of cannabis plants in Unit #7, where she is not licensed. They said the video then cuts out for about the next 40 minutes, and when it returns all the plants are gone.

Meredith maintains she was never growing cannabis in Unit #7.

"I have a legal and licensed grow in unit number 6 and I have never cultivated outside of number 6," she said.

Meredith said in addition to inaccurate allegations, the city went the harshest route possible. "There was never any sort of a warning, never a suspension," she said. "To just go straight to the revocation of all 3 of my licenses seems a little extreme to me."

The city attorney said in his letter "willful and blatant violations" and "a certain level of evasiveness" played a role in the consequences. But Meredith said that's not true and her appeal says so.

In the meantime, she said her financial losses are significant.

"Huge – the rents are gigantic," she said. "Now everything's just on hold, everything. So everything just sits there going bad.

 "I try to be a good person and a good member to society, and I hope that people remember that," Meredith said.

The appeal will go before city council, but so far a date for the hearing has not yet been set.