REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
October 31, 2024
FROM: ANDREW JANZ, City Attorney
City Attorney
BY: ERICA CAMARENA, Chief Assistant City Attorney
City Attorney's Office, Code Enforcement
SUBJECT
Title
WORKSHOP - Annual Report of the Cannabis Administrative Prosecutor Program (CAPP)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
The Memorandum of Understanding with the Office of the Attorney General requires an annual report to Council regarding the status of the program.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On August 29, 2023, the City entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to join forces in developing CAPP. This MOU integrates the resources of the OAG with the powers the City has to undertake efficient enforcement actions against illegal land uses that constitute public nuisances. Working in conjunction with one another, this partnership allows CAPP to enforce all laws related to illegal commercial cannabis activity, including retail, cultivation, and manufacturing.
BACKGROUND
Since October 2023, CAPP inspectors, alongside various enforcement agencies, have conducted 100 inspections. A focal issue for the City of Fresno has been the unlicensed smoke shops acting as dispensaries. For this reason, smoke shops were CAPP's primary focus throughout this first year. The 100 inspections include 67 smoke shops, 18 markets, 11 cultivations, and 1 illegal dispensary within city limits, and three miscellaneous investigations.
At the commencement of the program, three inspectors canvased the City to document all smoke shop locations. Approximately 140 shops were logged. CAPP inspectors then worked closely with Fresno Police Department (FPD) Problem Oriented Policing Detectives to address nuisance locations throughout the city. Inspections were conducted alongside agencies including the following: FPD, Fresno Fire Department (FFD), California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA), California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), ...
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