BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — California Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, has collected approximately 800,000 illegal cannabis plants and more than 106,000 pounds of processed cannabis across the state. was confiscated.
These seized items have an estimated black market value of $353 million.
The operation was part of the state's illegal marijuana eradication and prevention program.
The crackdown led to 282 arrests in 36 counties, with one of the hotspots being Caen.
Officials targeted 60 locations in Kern County and removed nearly 90,000 plants.
Bonta said in a statement:
California has the largest safe, legal, and regulated cannabis market in the world, but unfortunately, illegal and unlicensed cultivation continues to proliferate.
He added that these underground activities not only disrupt the legal cannabis industry, but also cause environmental damage and lead to labor exploitation.
In 2024, state enforcement efforts resulted in 665 operations, the recovery of 201 weapons, and the removal of illegal infrastructure.
This includes containers of toxic chemicals from dams, water pipes, and illegal cultivation sites that pose a significant risk to public health.
