Governor Newsom announces $227 million to combat illicit cannabis activity and protect California communities

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Jun 25, 2026

Governor Newsom announces $227 million to combat illicit cannabis activity and protect California communities

What you need to know: Governor Newsom announced $227 million in Proposition 64 grants to help local communities strengthen public safety, combat illicit cannabis activity, support youth prevention and public health programs, address environmental harms, and sustain California's regulated cannabis market.

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that the state has awarded $227 million in Proposition 64 grant funding to support local efforts addressing the public health and safety impacts of cannabis legalization. The funding will help communities strengthen public safety, combat illicit cannabis activity, support youth prevention and intervention efforts, protect public health, and address environmental harms associated with illegal cannabis operations.

With this fourth cohort of awards, statewide Proposition 64 grant funding now totals more than $350 million. The grants, which are overseen by the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC), support local governments as they work to protect communities, sustain California's legal cannabis market, and address the challenges associated with cannabis legalization.

The voters created a legal, regulated cannabis market, and we have a responsibility to make sure it works as intended. That means continuing to crack down on illegal cannabis operations that threaten public safety, exploit workers, damage the environment, and undercut legal businesses that follow the rules. This funding gives local communities the resources they need to strengthen enforcement, prevent youth access, improve public health outcomes, and make neighborhoods safer.

Governor Gavin Newsom

The Proposition 64 Public Health and Safety Grant Program was established in 2016 through the voter-approved Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act. These awards were made across a variety of size-based categories, with all funded projects addressing one or more of four cannabis-related focus areas: public safety and enforcement, youth prevention and intervention, public health, or environmental impacts.

"These grant awards reflect California's continued commitment to supporting local communities as they address the impacts of cannabis legalization," said BSCC Board Chair Linda Penner. "Communities are best positioned to identify and address the unique challenges they face, and this funding will help local governments advance strategies that protect residents, strengthen public health, and enhance public safety."

Past and current grantees have demonstrated the impact of Proposition 64 investments, using grant funding to strengthen enforcement, improve compliance, support youth prevention efforts, and address environmental harms associated with illicit cannabis activity.

Humboldt County used Proposition 64 funding to expand its Education, Analysis, and Enforcement Project, strengthening youth outreach, prevention education, and enforcement efforts through partnerships with local agencies. The county's Marijuana Enforcement Team exceeded its eradication goals, removing more than 267,000 unpermitted cannabis plants, identifying 188 environmental violations, and seizing illegal firearms while advancing public health, safety, and environmental protection.

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The City and County of San Francisco used grant funding to establish new enforcement positions, hire and train dedicated staff, and develop a mobile data tracking system that improved reporting and performance monitoring. These investments increased enforcement activity, improved responsiveness to illicit market complaints, and supported a youth-focused public education campaign displayed throughout the city's public transportation network.

Santa Barbara County, one of the current grantees, is using Proposition 64 funding to hire and train new detectives, purchase specialized equipment, and expand data analysis capabilities. To date, the county has increased compliance inspections, reduced licensing backlogs, improved violation remediation rates, and doubled illicit cannabis enforcement actions while continuing to identify and eradicate illegal cultivation sites.

Collectively, prior Proposition 64 grantees have demonstrated the impact of these investments, using funds to eradicate nearly one million illegal cannabis plants, seize 295 illegal firearms, and disrupt illicit cannabis operations that threatened public safety and undermined California's regulated cannabis market.

Funding

While BSCC initially made $125 million available through this funding cycle and prioritized applications addressing illicit cannabis enforcement pursuant to Senate Bill 141, the Board leveraged anticipated Fiscal Year 2026-27 funding and other available resources to fully fund all eligible applicants.

As part of the 2025 Budget Act, eligibility for grant funding was expanded to support more local jurisdictions in addressing cannabis-related public safety challenges. Under the updated criteria, a local government is eligible for funding if it permits retail cannabis storefront sales or, for jurisdictions with populations of 10,000 residents or fewer, allows cannabis delivery serving both medicinal and adult-use consumers.

A full list of project summaries is available here.

A full list of grant awards is available here.

The BSCC provides services to county adult and juvenile justice systems through a variety of programs, including the administration of public safety, reentry, violence reduction, and rehabilitative grant programs for state and local governments and community-based organizations throughout California.

The Golden State's cannabis leadership

California remains a national leader in implementing a comprehensive approach to cannabis legalization that prioritizes public safety, consumer protection, environmental stewardship, and a well-regulated legal marketplace. Through the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC), California oversees one of the world's largest regulated cannabis markets while working to ensure compliance and accountability across the industry.

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At the same time, the state has led some of the nation's most aggressive efforts to combat illicit cannabis activity through coordinated enforcement operations involving DCC, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), other state partners, and local law enforcement. These efforts have targeted illegal cultivation and manufacturing sites that threaten public safety, divert water resources, harm wildlife habitats, and undermine licensed businesses. By pairing strong enforcement with investments in prevention, public health, environmental restoration, and local community support, California continues to demonstrate that legalization and public safety go hand in hand.

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