SISKIYOU COUNTY, Calif. — Siskiyou County Sheriff LaRue has expressed frustration over what he perceives as a lack of support from the California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) in combating illegal cannabis operations in the county. Sheriff LaRue said, "The state of California itself, with the Department of Cannabis Control, is almost non-existent in Siskiyou County. I have not seen them in several years, and when they did come out, they were here for a week, did a small operation which yielded like $65 million of illegal cannabis, but they haven't really been proactive in our county, and I’m disappointed in them."
In response, the DCC expressed confusion over LaRue's comments, asserting that they actively collaborate with various jurisdictions, including Siskiyou County. The department cited several instances of cooperation:
- On May 1, 2025, the Department issued an Emergency Decision and Order against a licensee to cease operations. This action was in direct response to the efforts of SCSO, who recently discovered 500 pounds of unsourced cannabis and $20,000 during a recent traffic stop. This led to a follow-up investigation of the licensee’s premise by the Department which resulted in the discovery of an additional 28,000 pounds of unlicensed cannabis, which was prevented from entering the illicit market.
- In August 2024, the Department’s compliance team conducted a training for SCSO’s staff, which Sheriff LaRue attended.
- In July 2023, Governor Newsom’s Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce (UCETF) conducted the largest enforcement operation to date by serving 24 search warrants in Siskiyou County that resulted in the seizure of $68.5 million in illicit cannabis and a dozen firearms. The operation also resulted in $30,000 in administrative fines being issued.
- In addition to these actions, collaborative efforts between the Department’s compliance staff and SCSO resulted in the revocation of four licenses and the denial of two license applications.
While acknowledging these efforts, LaRue criticized the DCC's portrayal of their involvement.
Despite these efforts, LaRue reported that the county still contends with over 2,000 illegal cultivation sites, which he said are producing billions of dollars in illegal marijuana and causing environmental harm.
Despite the back and forth between the two organizations, both say they are open to continuing to work together.
"As we have previously stated, [the] Department remains committed to enforcement actions that significantly reduce the size of the illegal market throughout the entire state of California and have appreciated the partnership with SCSO to date," said the DCC.
Sheriff LaRue emphasized the ongoing challenges faced by the county, stating, "We’re certainly open for any assistance the state can provide. We routinely ask them for assistance. They know our problem is massive, everyone in Sacramento knows about Siskiyou County and just the huge overwhelming black market we have present here."
