California task force confiscates nearly 100,000 cannabis plants in three months

The Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce (UCETF) in California has seized nearly 100,000 cannabis plants in the past three months, according to a release from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. State officials praised the seizures Friday, saying illegal marijuana growing sites posed a threat to consumer safety and were often linked to organized crime.

Bill Jones, chief of the California Department of Cannabis Control’s (DCC) enforcement division, noted that the task force focused on some of the largest unlicensed cannabis cultivation sites in California in the third quarter of 2023.

“The UCETF has spent the last three months focused on large-scale outdoor cannabis operations that posed a significant threat to the environment and public safety,” Jones said in a statement to the press. “Many of these illegal cannabis operations are linked to organized crime, and the products of these operations not only endanger the environment and communities, but also pose a direct threat to the health of consumers and the stability of the legal cannabis market. “

More than thirty tons of weed confiscated

In the three months ended September 30, the UCETF eradicated a total of 98,054 illegal cannabis plants, compared to the 120,970 plants confiscated in the second quarter of this year. The task force also seized 61,415.75 pounds of cannabis, which was nearly as much as the 66,315.01 pounds of weed seized in the previous three months. However, state officials noted that the third-quarter total was achieved by serving 60 search warrants, a 35% decrease from the number of search warrants served in the second quarter.

The task force also seized 69 firearms in raids on unlicensed marijuana growing facilities between July and September, a 363% increase from the previous quarter. However, searches in the third quarter resulted in no cash seizures, while $223,809 in cash was seized in the previous three months.

“During the past quarter, UCTEF conducted several highly coordinated operations that will disrupt the illicit supply chain and improve consumer and public safety. The task force focused on rural areas where illegal growers have been conducting unlicensed operations,” said Nathaniel Arnold, acting chief of enforcement for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. “These enforcement figures reflect the hard work and commitment of our cross-agency teams. I congratulate our officers and partner agencies who have worked tirelessly to identify these sting operations and ensure a good level of public safety and consumer safety.”

The UCETF also reported that cannabis seized upon serving search warrants last quarter had an estimated street value of $101,349,657, a decrease of nearly $8 million from the estimate of $109,277,688.94. Dollars in the previous quarter.

However, police estimates of the street value of confiscated marijuana are routinely inflated, and have been for years. Instead of reporting the wholesale value of weed seized from large-scale operations, law enforcement officials often value cannabis based on the one-gram gray market price, which greatly inflates the estimate but is misleading.

“Inflating drug busts in the press” is a “fairly common law enforcement tactic,” Alex Kreit, a law professor at Northern Kentucky University and director of the school’s Center on Addiction Law & Policy, said in an email to Forbes said in 2021.

“That doesn’t mean it’s legitimate; I think it’s incredibly misleading,” he added. “But I think it’s common.”

Task force formed last year

The UCETF is a cross-departmental initiative created as part of California Governor Gavin Newsom’s 2022-2023 budget to combat illegal cannabis operations. The task force works closely with the DCC, CDFW and the Homeland Security Division of the California Office of Emergency Services. The UCETF was tasked with coordinating state efforts and increasing cannabis enforcement collaboration among state, local and federal partners.

The Task Force has been active since late summer 2022 and is taking aggressive action to protect communities, consumers and the environment. According to the task force, the UCETF has destroyed 277,314 plants and confiscated 101 firearms since its inception.