“It is astounding the amount of illegal cannabis being grown and processed in California.  This illegal and underground activity threatens the legal market, the environment, and public safety.”

– CSLEA President Alan Barcelona

SACRAMENTO – On December 10, 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom announced California’s Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce (UCETF) recently seized a combined total of more than $19 million of illegally grown cannabis and illegally manufactured cannabis products during concurrent operations in Oakland and Hayward.

Illegal products seized in the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW)-led operation in Oakland included: 

• Over 7,000 illegal cannabis plants worth $6.1 million
• Over 1,200 pounds of processed cannabis flower worth $2 million
• 581 pounds of concentrated cannabis worth $4.4 million
• 6,250 disposable vape cartridges worth over $41,000

CDFW led an enforcement action in East Oakland along with California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), and Oakland Hazardous Materials Management (HAZMAT) that resulted in more than $12.6 million in illegal cannabis being seized.

During this operation, CDFW discovered an illegal cannabis operation containing a functioning carbon dioxide (C02) and a Butane Honey Oil (BHO) laboratory. These operations can pose a significant risk to public safety, as butane honey oil is a concentrated form of cannabis that is highly flammable and explosive. This hazardous laboratory was safely disposed of by Oakland HAZMAT and DTSC teams. 

“This successful operation, led by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, underscores the Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce’s dedication to safeguarding public health, protecting the environment, and preserving the integrity of California’s regulated cannabis market,” said Nathaniel Arnold, Chief of Law Enforcement at CDFW.“Unlicensed operations like this not only undermine state law, but also endanger our fish and wildlife species, habitats, and communities.” 

Around the same time in Hayward, an enforcement operation led by the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) with support from CDFW, CDTFA, Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) resulted in the seizure of 4,018 pounds of illegal cannabis plants and processed flower worth $6.6 million. For community safety, local code enforcement red-tagged the location and disconnected the electricity. 

“UCETF continues to leverage the knowledge and experience of its partners to deliberately, and effectively, reduce the size of the unlicensed cannabis market,” said Bill Jones, Chief of Law Enforcement at DCC. “Being able to coordinate, and execute, operations of this size simultaneously is a significant advantage when targeting the illegal market.”

How we got here

In 2022, Governor Newsom created the UCETF to further align state efforts and increase cannabis enforcement coordination between state, local, and federal partners.  The enforcement actions protect consumer and public safety, safeguard the environment, and deprive illegal cannabis operators and transnational criminal organizations of illicit revenue that harms consumers and undercuts the regulated cannabis market in California.