California law enforcement agencies continue to ramp up raids and seizures against illegal grows and operators.
Under the state’s multiagency Eradication and Prevention of Illicit Cannabis (EPIC) program, 774,829 illegally cultivated marijuana plants were destroyed this year as well as 106,141 pounds of processed MJ, California Attorney General Rob Bonta recently announced.
Federal and state investigations also led to 282 arrests in 36 counties.
In October, a separate task force launched in 2022 by Gov. Gavin Newsom – the Unified Cannabis Enforcement Task Force (UCETF) – seized more than $2.3 million in illegally cultivated cannabis, including 2,652 plants in a single operation.
Combined, eradication efforts in California accounted for $544 million worth of unregulated cannabis, though government estimates are often exaggerated.
California authorities in August seized 2.2 million illicit cannabis packages – many designed to appeal to children – during a sting operation in downtown Los Angeles’ Toy District.
While the seizure estimates seem prolific, law enforcement officials contend they represent only a fraction of the millions of pounds of unlicensed cannabis created annually in the state, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The illicit market, comprised of hundreds of illegal grows and retail outlets across the state, has been a widespread challenge that law enforcement agencies have struggled to rein in since California launched a regulated system in 2018.
