The City of Sacramento has received $6 million in state funding to expand efforts to address illicit cannabis activity while supporting public health education and youth development programs.
The Sacramento City Council on Tuesday authorized the City to accept the Proposition 64 Public Health and Safety Grant from the California Board of State and Community Corrections. Sacramento received the maximum award available through the latest grant cycle.
“This funding allows us to take a coordinated approach that goes beyond enforcement alone,” said Al Romero-Gibu, Cannabis Manager with the City’s Office of Cannabis Management. “By bringing together public safety, regulatory oversight, education and youth programming, we can address the illicit cannabis market while giving residents and young people better information and resources to make informed decisions.”
Approximately $4.2 million will support public safety and enforcement, with the remaining $1.8 million supporting public health, education and youth development. State grant requirements call for at least 70% of the funding to support public safety and enforcement.
The initiative brings together the Office of Cannabis Management, Sacramento Police Department, Community Development Department and Department of Youth, Parks, & Community Enrichment.
Public safety and enforcement
Grant funding will support additional Police Department and Code Enforcement staffing and operations to identify, investigate and deter illicit commercial cannabis activity.
Police efforts will include investigating illegal cultivation, manufacturing and distribution; responding to unlicensed cannabis “pop-up” events; investigating illicit sales conducted through social media; and addressing residential and outdoor illegal cultivation.
The grant also will fund additional Code Enforcement capacity, including a supervising code enforcement officer to provide oversight of complex cases and support consistent inspections and enforcement.
From 2018 through 2025, the City’s Marijuana Compliance Team issued more than $105 million in administrative penalties, addressed more than 200,000 cannabis plants, made 445 arrests and seized more than 102,000 pounds of cannabis and 219 firearms.
Public health and youth programs
The Office of Cannabis Management will also use grant funding for community education focused on the risks associated with illicit cannabis products and unlicensed sales. Efforts will include social media campaigns, community outreach and multilingual educational materials.
Funding also will continue and expand the City’s #SacYouthWorks: Futures program for Sacramento youth ages 12 to 19 who face systemic and structural barriers.
The program combines work-based learning and youth development with cannabis and substance-use prevention education. The previous pilot cohort had capacity for 100 participants, with 99 completing the program.
The $6 million award builds on nearly $4 million Sacramento received through two previous Proposition 64 grant cycles. No City matching funds are required.
Program activities will continue through June 2031, with the City tracking and evaluating outcomes across enforcement, public health and youth development efforts.