PHI scorecard puts Fresno County among California cannabis regulation leaders

A statewide scorecard by the Public Health Institute placed Fresno among the leaders in California for local cannabis rules, giving the city 54 points and ranking it just behind Pomona, which led the state with 60 points. The PHI project, Getting it Right from the Start - 2025 scorecard, evaluated six policy areas through the lens of protecting youth, public health and communities, and found Fresno well above the 23-point average for cities that allow retail storefronts.

Alisa Padon, research director with Getting it Right from the Start, said: “As more Californians live in communities that allow cannabis sales, local policy decisions increasingly shape who is exposed to risk and who is protected.” Padon added: “These scorecards show how uneven protections remain across the state, and the science shows how much those choices matter.” The score reflects policy choices by city leaders on zoning, retailer limits, taxation and revenue use, and local prevention efforts.

Several polices in Fresno’s cannabis ordinance go beyond what is required by state law, according to the scorecard. They include: A cap on the number of retailers. The city allows 21 dispensaries; three in each of its seven council districts. Fresno also levies a citywide tax on retail sales reported as 4% on gross receipts, with a portion of the revenue set aside for youth prevention and equity - 10%, according to the city’s Office of Cannabis Oversight. The state does not require local jurisdictions to levy taxes; the statewide tax on retail cannabis is 15%.

Fresno’s cautious rollout helps explain the local approach. The city didn’t allow for retail sales until 2021, nearly five years after Prop. 64 legalized recreational marijuana in the state. At the time, Fresno was the largest California city without brick-and-mortar recreational dispensaries. It was another year before the first storefronts opened in Fresno and another two before dispensaries began to proliferate across town. The city caps 21 licenses and, as reported, 15 of the city’s 21 licensed dispensaries were open and operating “as of last year.”

The local policy environment coincides with business interest and economic activity. National brand STIIIZY opened a Fresno store in May 2024 at 6929 North Willow Ave Suite 103, a 2,500 square foot space in a 12,000 square foot strip mall. The opening was expected to bring 15 jobs and included a grand-opening celebration with live music and food vendors. Tak Sato, President of STIIIZY, said: “The launch of STIIIZY Fresno signifies our commitment to our consumers and the cannabis industry as we continue to expand our presence in California and beyond,” and “We are honored to be welcomed into the Fresno community.”

County dynamics remain complex. Fresno County voted 52.9% against Prop. 64 and the County Board prohibits all forms of cannabis commerce in unincorporated areas. Reported local arrest data show shifting enforcement: arrests rose to 36 in 2018 (+5.9%), 47 in 2019 (+24.4%) and 81 in 2020 (+72.3%), driven in part by possession arrests increasing from 23 in 2017 to 79 in 2020, while arrests for sales and manufacture fell sharply.

For Fresno residents the PHI scorecard signals that city policy has tilted toward cautious regulation - caps, taxes and earmarked prevention dollars - even as businesses expand in permitted zones. Expect city council decisions and Office of Cannabis Oversight activity to shape whether Fresno maintains its rank, how tax dollars are spent on youth prevention and how the local retail landscape evolves.