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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — On Thursday, the Governor’s Office 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.
Among the 71 awardees announced Thursday are the city of Clearlake and the Lake County Probation Department.
“The voters created a legal, regulated cannabis market, and we have a responsibility to make sure it works as intended,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom. “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.”
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, or 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 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.
Lake County grant awardees
The state’s funding recommendations include the following:
Small cities and counties (population of less than 50,000): 21 proposals funded, $1 million maximum award per application. Total funding allocated: $20,010,813.
Medium cities and counties (population of between 50,000 and 500,000): 36 proposals funded, $4.5 million maximum award per application. Total funding allocated: $137,768,234.
Large cities and counties (population of 500,000 and above): 14 proposals funded, $6 million maximum award per application. Total funding allocated: $69,373,113.
The city of Clearlake is among the small cities and counties awarded $1 million for its project, the Clearlake Cannabis Enforcement and Community Protection Program.
The city is proposing an enforcement-focused project to address illicit commercial cannabis activity. The project description says, “Located in the Emerald Triangle region of Lake County, Clearlake has experienced significant increases in cannabis-related police cases, search warrants, arrests, and code enforcement activity from 2023 through 2026.”
The city said its project centers on public safety and enforcement, with approximately 82 percent of direct costs dedicated to strengthening the city's capacity to investigate, disrupt and
deter illicit cannabis operations through dedicated investigative personnel, code enforcement and abatement support, overtime and backfill, and field resources.
A secondary component is youth development, and will support structured camps, outdoor recreation, transportation and community engagement to reduce cannabis-related risk factors for youth.
The Lake County Probation Department, in the medium cities and counties category, recommended for an award of $4,496,900, is proposing a project titled “Lake County Public Safety and Youth Programs Enhancement.”
The county’s project summary explained, “Illegal cannabis cultivation poses significant risk to public safety, the environment, and community well-being in Lake County. Unpermitted cultivation sites are associated with water theft, habitat destruction, illegal pesticide use, and unsafe conditions. This strains local law enforcement and contributes to criminal behavior.
Individuals involved in cannabis-related offenses often return to illegal cannabis cultivation. Youth exposure to cannabis use further underscores the need for early intervention and prevention. This project addresses these issues through a coordinated, multi-department approach focused on enforcement, rehabilitation, and education.”
How the grants are funded
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.”
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.
