Desert Hot Springs, CA – Southern California’s first major marijuana cultivation facility officially opened this week with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Desert Hot Springs.
Santa Barbara-based Canndescent’s 9,600-square-foot cultivation facility at 65321 Two Bunch Palms Trail is the first of many cultivation centers expected to open in Desert Hot Springs and elsewhere in the Coachella Valley.
Thursday’s festivities included a ribbon-cutting ceremony, a tour of the facility for government, state and local officials, a monument presentation made to the city of Desert Hot Springs in recognition of the first marijuana cultivation facility with a municipally issued permit, and a Boy Scout troop beginning the festivities with the Pledge of Allegiance.
A reception immediately followed the ceremony at the Two Bunch Palms Resort.
Though the city has several cultivation projects in the works, Canndescent is the only cultivator to officially begin operating in Desert Hot Springs, which has turned to cannabis as a much-needed revenue source.
In 2014, Desert Hot Springs voters backed measures allowing marijuana dispensaries and cultivation after a local economic emergency was declared.
The city also approved taxation measures for cultivators, requiring the businesses to pay an annual tax of $25 per square foot for the first 3,000 square feet and $10 per square foot for additional space.
Desert Hot Springs Mayor Scott Matas called Thursday “an historic day for our city. With Canndescent opening its doors and 50 more projects in the works, cultivation tax revenues will drive significant economic expansion in the area and allow us to improve services for our residents.”
Canndescent will operate without direct competition for now, with measures for marijuana cultivation and taxation also approved in Cathedral City and Coachella.
Sixteen projects, including Canndescent, have received approval from Desert Hot Springs, with many more pending. The approved projects equal nearly 2 million combined square feet.
The industry is expected to boom in the region, especially if California voters approve Proposition 64, which would legalize marijuana use in the state. Currently, marijuana cultivation in Riverside County is only permitted in limited circumstances for patients and caregivers.
Canndescent CEO Adrian Sedlin said he’s excited about the future and the chance “to make history” whether voters approve legalization of recreational use or not.
The company was co-founded by Sedlin and his brother-in-law, who has grown marijuana since the early 1990s. Canndescent has raised $6.5 million in seed money over the past year.
Over the weekend, plants were moved into the building, which Sedlin said has stricter security than many banks. More than 60 cameras provide a direct feed to the Desert Hot Springs Police Department, he said.
Sedlin said he looked forward to being part of a major societal transition, “going from a position of condemning cannabis to a position of embracing its medicinal benefits.”
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker
Full Article: Major Marijuana Cultivation Facility Now Open In RivCo
Author: Staff
Contact: Palm Desert Patch
Photo Credit: Pamplin Media Group
Website: Palm Desert Patch
