California law enforcement agencies seize thousands of pounds of illegal cannabis near state parks

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Jul 16, 2024

California law enforcement agencies seize thousands of pounds of illegal cannabis near state parks

What you need to know: Multiple state enforcement units took down criminal cannabis operations near two state parks, resulting in the eradication of thousands of pounds of illegal cannabis and seizure of illegal firearms, including ghost guns and assault weapons. Since January, the Governor's Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce (UCETF) has seized over $120 million in illegal cannabis products, including nearly 73,300 pounds of unlicensed cannabis and eradicated over 122,900 illegal plants in law enforcement crackdowns.

SACRAMENTO - Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that state law enforcement units conducted operations at state parks throughout California targeting illicit cannabis grow sites that endanger communities, the environment, and California's legal cannabis industry, resulting in the seizure of more than 5,200 illegal cannabis plants and 14 illegal firearms, including three ghost guns and two assault weapons.

"We're committed to supporting the legal cannabis market in California. The illicit market endangers our communities, our environment, and California's growing legal and safer cannabis industry. California's legal market also produces billions of dollars for our state economy, and we'll continue to support the businesses that are engaged in this industry the right way, by taking down the criminal operations undermining their success."

Governor Gavin Newsom

Officials from the California Department of Parks and Recreation and the Governor's UCETF, supported by the Department of Justice (DOJ), carried out the operations near the listed locations with the following results:

• Saddleback Butte State Park in Antelope Valley: 3,684 plants were destroyed at three different grow sites, weighing approximately 9,620 pounds. Eight firearms were seized, including two illegal ghost guns and two assault weapons.

• Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park in Allensworth, CA: 1,572 plants weighing approximately 3,757 pounds were destroyed at two different grow sites. Six firearms were seized, including one illegal ghost gun.

What Armando Quintero, Director of California State Parks said: "California State Parks - the nation's largest state park system - is responsible for protecting some of the state's most valued natural and cultural resources. Preventing environmental damage caused by illegal cannabis cultivation inside park boundaries and on adjacent private property is a priority for our law enforcement team. It's also an important component of our overall strategy for keeping parks and their local communities safe and protected for future generations. We thank our law enforcement partners who worked closely with our team to ensure a safe and successful outcome."

Participating agencies included the Department of Cannabis Control, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, California Department of Justice, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California State Parks, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the California National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, and the Tulare County Sheriff's Office.

Taking down illicit cannabis

Governor Newsom has directed state agencies to aggressively target the organized criminal enterprises involved in the illicit cannabis market. These illegal schemes not only threaten California's legal cannabis market, but the use of illegal pesticides and unregulated practices harm California's environment and water quality. California is also focused on ending the exploitation of vulnerable workers at these sites, who are often victims of labor violations and human trafficking.

What Nicole Elliott, Director of the Department of Cannabis Control said: "UCETF's strategic and collaborative approach is important in maintaining the integrity of our state's cannabis industry. The recent operation UCETF operation led by California State Parks underscores the taskforce's strong commitment to protecting our environment and supporting the licensed cannabis industry in California."

A unified strategy across California

In 2022, Governor Newsom created the UCETF to further align state efforts and increase cannabis enforcement coordination between state, local, and federal partners. The enforcement actions protect consumer and public safety, safeguard the environment, and deprive illegal cannabis operators and transnational criminal organizations of illicit revenue that harms consumers and undercuts the regulated cannabis market in California.

This adds to the work of the California State Park's SET, which is part of California State Parks Cannabis Watershed Protection Program (CWPP) and was created in 2019. The unit is responsible for preventing and removing illegal cannabis grows which impact watersheds around state parks and other public lands.

To learn more about the legal California cannabis market, state licenses, and laws, visit cannabis.ca.gov.