DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif.
The first and largest marijuana cultivation farm in Southern California will be located in Desert Hot Springs. GFarmaLabs is spearheading this initial movement. "It's going to be filled with greenhouses. It's going to be an agricultural center out in the middle of the desert," Berto Torres of GFarmaLabs said. Legal marijuana cultivation can prove to be beneficial for the city of Desert Hot Springs. Land values are skyrocketing, and new businesses are sprouting up overnight. Ben Breinberg moved from the Netherlands five months ago to open a hydroponic business. "This is going to be the biggest in the world. So yeah, I'm happy to be right in the middle of it," Breinberg said. However, there are mixed reactions from residents. Desert Hot Springs resident Joan Davis is concerned about the new cultivation businesses. "We have to look at the big picture. Our children are our future, and where is the future for them and this?" Davis said. Resident Jonathan Thomas is more supportive. "If somebody settles here with a business and is doing productive things for the city, I don't see how somebody could have a problem with that," Thomas said. Everyone, though, agrees that Desert Hot Springs needs the money. The city declared insolvency in 2014. Mayor Scott Matas said in a statement, "We anticipate the GFarmaLabs project will provide local jobs and spur up to $1 million in tax revenue allowing for more funding for police, education, health resources and infrastructure within the city."