Adelanto, known 80 years ago for its fruit trees, is tying its star to another agricultural boom. In November, it became the second city in Southern California to permit commercial cultivation of medical marijuana.

ADELANTO – On a Wednesday night in December, investors from Orange County and Los Angeles descended on a crumbling outpost that, until then, many had only unwittingly driven past on the way to Las Vegas.

The outsiders and residents alike packed Adelanto City Hall, eager to weigh in on the City Council’s ongoing debate over its new marijuana ordinance.

But when the city attorney announced that Don Kojima of Newport Beach had scored 47 acres of prime city-owned land for just $375,000, men in pricey suits began shouting out offers to pay 10 times that much. Welcome to the unlikely land rush that is transforming this desert town.

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Brooke Edwards Staggs ~ Orange County Register ~