Palm Desert, CA Public Conduct: Public Marijuana Use (2026)

Chapter 8.38 of the Palm Desert Municipal Code regulates personal use of medicinal and adult-use cannabis in the city. Section 8.38.030 first requires all use and possession to comply with the Compassionate Use Act, the Medical Marijuana Program and the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act, then adds local restrictions.

Subsection A bars smoking or ingesting cannabis or cannabis products in a public place, naming streets, sidewalks and parks. It also reaches common areas within a residential development, including private streets and sidewalks, common parking areas, and parks or other spaces maintained by a homeowners or property owners association and accessible to residents. Subsection D separately bars smoking or using cannabis products on city property, including parks, common areas in city-owned housing developments and other public places. Because the ban covers ingesting, edibles are included, not just smoked product.

Subsection B prohibits smoking cannabis anywhere tobacco smoking is prohibited under Chapter 8.36, so the restaurant patio, entrance and park rules for tobacco apply equally. Subsection C prohibits possessing, smoking or ingesting cannabis on the grounds of a school, day care center or youth center, and prohibits smoking or ingesting within one thousand feet of one, except on the grounds of a private residence and then only if the smoking is not detectable by others on those grounds.

The code defines smoke to include vaping with an electronic device that creates an aerosol or vapor.

Section 8.38.040 declares every violation a public nuisance and says the penalties are not exclusive remedies.