While cities across California continue to put bans in place on medical cannabis businesses and even home cultivation, Desert Hot Springs is taking a different approach: tolerance.
Leaders in the small town north of Palm Springs – currently the only other city in the county that allows for medical marijuana shops – unanimously approved allowing medical pot shops in the city this week, agreeing that allowing the industry would help both medical patients as well as city coffers.
In Palm Springs, dispensaries have done about $4.5 million in sales annually. The city enacted a 10 percent sales tax that brings in about $450,000 in tax revenue every year. DHS officials say they want in on that action.
Desert Hot Springs city officials have tasked the city attorney with drafting rules for the shops, including whether or not there should be an age restriction and if shops need to have security plans in place or not.
Residents in the town of around 26,000 who were at the meeting say they welcome the change.
“I believe this would be good for our city,” one resident said at the council meeting last night. “There are some people who are too poor to go outside of town.”