Cannabis crackdown: State officials seize 58,350 illegal cannabis plants worth $57 million in November
What you need to know: In November, state officials conducted three major enforcement operations to seize and eradicate 58,358 illegal cannabis plants and nearly three tons of processed cannabis worth an estimated $56.5 million.
SACRAMENTO – As California continues to crack down on the illicit cannabis market, Governor Gavin Newsom today announced three major enforcement operations conducted in November that yielded major results, including eradicating 58,358 plants and seizing about three tons of processed cannabis worth an estimated $56.5 million.
Spearheaded by Governor Newsom’s Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce (UCETF), these major multiagency operations were led by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC). The operations out of Alameda and Los Angeles counties targeted large-scale illegal cultivation sites, both outdoor and indoor, that posed significant risks to natural resources and surrounding neighborhoods.
Illicit cannabis has no place in our society or marketplace. Every day we have officials on the ground working to stop it once and for all. We are committed to ensuring families are safe from nonregulated illegal cannabis products.
Governor Gavin Newsom
Taking down illegal cannabis grows near Lancaster and Hayward
CDFW led two major multisite, multiagency operations coordinated through UCETF from November 18 to November 20, targeting unlicensed cultivation sites on private land in Alameda and Los Angeles counties. With support from state, local and regulatory partners, CDFW went after a combined 52 unlicensed outdoor cultivation sites in the Lancaster area in northeast Los Angeles County. CDFW identified the targets and, in partnership with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD), served 52 warrants at the sites.
The operation resulted in the eradication of 32,738 plants and the destruction of 5,122 pounds of processed cannabis. Officers detained and cited 12 individuals and seized six firearms. They also documented 24 California Fish and Game Code violations and confiscated 12 grams of methamphetamine. Bottles labeled as containing carbofuran and methamidophos, pesticides banned in the United States because of health and safety reasons, were found at multiple sites. Both can be highly toxic to fish and wildlife and their ecosystems and can contaminate soil and water resources.
“Californians pay the price when illegal operators bypass environmental protections,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham. “Our officers work long hours under difficult conditions to shut down unlicensed operations that threaten the environment and nearby communities. We remain committed to working with our UCETF partners to dismantle operations that hurt wildlife and their habitats, threaten water supplies and undermine the state’s legal cannabis market.”
In a separate operation on November 18 in the city of Hayward, CDFW officers executed search warrants on multiple industrial warehouses that were operating as unlicensed indoor cultivation sites. Officers eradicated 6,157 cannabis plants and seized 193.6 pounds of processed cannabis during this operation, which also involved assistance from several state and local agencies.
Stopping indoor cultivation grows in Harbor City
On November 24, DCC executed three warrants at unlicensed indoor cultivation sites in Harbor City, located near a recreation center and multiple religious institutions.
Investigators eradicated 19,463 plants and seized 277.2 pounds of processed cannabis, representing an estimated $16.5 million in illicit product. Partner agencies shut off utilities and issued multiple violations.
“Illegal cannabis operations, particularly those embedded in residential neighborhoods, pose unacceptable risks to California families,” said DCC Director Nicole Elliott. “Whether the issue is fire hazards, toxic pesticides, or criminal networks exploiting our communities, UCETF partners remain committed to protecting the public and holding bad actors accountable.”
Addressing environmental and public safety impacts
Illicit cannabis cultivation operations, whether outdoor or indoor, can pose significant threats to California’s natural resources and public safety. Outdoor sites can illegally divert water; contaminate soil and waterways with fertilizers, harmful pesticides, fuel and other waste products; remove native vegetation; introduce invasive species; and result in light pollution and noise pollution that affect fish and wildlife. Unpermitted indoor grows often involve unregistered pesticides, electrical theft, and overloaded circuits and unsafe wiring that increase the risk of structure fires.
State actions to take down illegal cannabis involve significant collaboration to protect consumer and public safety, safeguard the environment and deprive illegal cannabis operators of illicit revenue. Given that, multiple agencies and partners are part of these robust operations, including the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, California National Guard Counterdrug Task Force, Employment Development Department, State Water Resources Control Board, San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Hayward Police Department, Hayward Fire Department, Hayward Code Enforcement Division, Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Los Angeles Fire Department, and additional local fire and code enforcement partners.
About the Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce
UCETF was established in 2022 by Gov. Gavin Newsom to enhance collaboration and enforcement coordination between state, local and federal partners. The taskforce is co-chaired by the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). It includes more than two dozen local, state and federal partners working together to disrupt the illegal cannabis market. Since its formation, UCETF has conducted hundreds of enforcement actions, seized millions of cannabis plants and prioritized operations linked to significant environmental, labor and public safety violations.