Nearly 775,000 illegally cultivated cannabis plants across the state were eradicated in a joint effort by California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office and local and federal law enforcement partners.
The enforcement was part of the Eradication and Prevention of Illicit Cannabis program (EPIC), Bonta announced this month.
In addition to the plants, 106,141 pounds of processed cannabis were seized, and 282 arrests were made in 36 different counties across California, including San Bernardino County. The total underground market price for these seizures is valued at approximately $353 million, Bonta stated.
EPIC is an interagency task force focused on combating the illegal cannabis market, and cannabis enforcement work, and investigating and prosecuting civil and criminal cases with a focus on environmental, economic, and labor impacts from illegal cultivation, state officials stated.
“California cannabis enforcement has a long way to go to ensure that the illicit cannabis doesn’t make it into the legal market," San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus said. "Partnerships like EPIC are a major step forward in tackling this problem.”
Bonta added that California has the largest safe, legal, and regulated cannabis market in the world, but unfortunately illegal and unlicensed grows continue to proliferate.
“The EPIC program was forged out of our recognition of the need for a more comprehensive approach that addresses the broader implications of the underground cannabis market,” Bonta said. “This includes tackling the environmental damage caused by these illicit activities, as well as the economic ramifications that arise from unregulated cultivation. Furthermore, there is a growing concern about labor exploitation within this underground market, where workers may face unsafe conditions and unfair treatment.”
Bonta thanked the partners involved in this effort.
“Together, we are working toward a solution that not only curtails illegal activities but also promotes a sustainable and equitable cannabis industry in the state,” Bonta stated.
Throughout the 2024 season, EPIC teams operating in Northern, Central, and Southern California, conducted 665 operations.
Illegal grows a 'serious threat' to California public park lands
The teams recovered 201 weapons, and removed infrastructure, including dams, water lines, and containers of toxic chemicals, such as carbofuran, methyl parathion, aluminum phosphate, zinc phosphide, and illegal fertilizers, state officials reported.
Carbofuran, in particular, poses untold risks to public health, state officials said. A lethal insecticide that is banned in the United States, carbofuran remains on plants after application and seeps into soil and nearby water sources.
Many of these illegal grow sites are found on public lands.
California has the largest state park system in the country with 1.59 million acres of park land to protect, according to Jeremy Stinson, California State Parks Law Enforcement assistant chief.
"Unfortunately, illegal cannabis cultivation is a serious threat to that land with more than 400 sites documented," Stinson said. "Protecting our state’s natural resources for all Californians and future generations is an important part of our mission. We look forward to continuing this valuable partnership to preserve and protect California’s state parks system.”
