The cities of Palm Springs and Coachella have been allocated hundreds of thousands of dollars from the state for "cannabis equity" programs. The money is meant to help low-income people and those who have been disproportionately impacted by law enforcement for cannabis-related crimes to break into the industry.
As part of the latest allotment, Palm Springs received $538,328 and Coachella received $200,000. That brings Palm Springs' total up to around $2.9 million since 2019, while Coachella has received about $1.1 million.
"It's been a great program," said Veronica Goedhart, director of Special Program Compliance in Palm Springs, which oversees the city's cannabis regulation. "This is a very difficult industry, and it's a great program to support local business owners."
Since 2019, California has granted $123.4 million to 34 local jurisdictions for the purposes of cannabis equity. So far, cities and counties across the state have licensed 1,446 business owners who faced barriers to the industry.
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