SANTA ANA, Ca. (July 12, 2021) –The Orange County Crime Laboratory Division (OC Crime Lab) of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department has been awarded a competitive grant in the amount of $467,700 for Laboratory Automation and Efficiency Improvement from the California Highway Patrol’s Cannabis Tax Fund Grant Program. Through this unique and first-time funding opportunity, the OC Crime Lab will purchase robotic instrumentation for sample preparation and screening. Funds will also be used for training and validation of the state-of-the-art instrumentation. All Orange County Law Enforcement will benefit from improved testing capabilities and quicker evidence analysis turn-around times.
The OC Crime Lab is an established leader in Driving Under the Influence of Drugs (DUID) toxicology forensic testing and expert testimony. This additional funding source will be utilized to expand our capabilities with the goal of improving roadway safety.
With the passage of Proposition 64, The Control, Regulate, and Tax Adult Use Marijuana Act (AUMA), in 2016 California voters mandated the state set aside funding for the California Highway Patrol to disperse to local governments and qualified nonprofit organizations for the education, prevention, and enforcement of impaired driving laws pursuant to Revenue and Taxation Code Section 34019. The purpose of the Cannabis Tax Fund Grants Program is to provide alternative funding sources to augment, but not supplant, current activities and programs.
