Removal of illegal cannabis businesses close to two state parks in California

This year, a statewide initiative to locate and shut down illicit cannabis businesses has focused on California State Parks.

Authorities recently destroyed thousands of illicit plants and recovered many guns after taking down multiple cannabis grows close to two state parks.

Authorities in California have reportedly carried out activities close to Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park in Tulare County and Saddleback Butte State Park in the Antelope Valley, according to the governor’s office, Gavin Newsom.

Three distinct grow sites were found close to the park in the Antelope Valley, which resulted in the removal of almost 3,600 plants totaling over 9,600 pounds. Eight firearms were also found by the authorities, including two assault rifles and two “ghost guns”—untraceable weapons made from spare or 3D-printed parts that lack a serial number.

At two separate grow facilities in Allensworth, over 1,500 plants weighing approximately 3,750 pounds were discovered and destroyed. The Governor’s Office reported that six firearms, including one ghost gun, were taken into custody.

The Governor’s Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce, a coalition of law enforcement officials from numerous local, state, and federal agencies, and the California Department of Parks and Recreation carried out the activities.

The largest state park system in the country, California State Parks, is tasked with safeguarding the state’s “most valued natural and cultural resources,” according to director Armando Quintero. Part of that responsibility includes preventing environmental harm brought on by illicit cannabis cultivation and keeping the parks and surrounding communities safe from crime.

Officials stated that in addition to the criminal activity connected to these illicit cannabis farms, the product’s cultivation frequently uses pesticides and other “unregulated practices” that can damage the environment and contaminate nearby water supplies.

According to Newsom, the task force’s dual objectives are to uphold the state’s legal sector and shield nearby communities from the cannabis illegal market.

“We’ll continue to support the businesses that are engaged in this industry the right way, by taking down the criminal operations undermining their success,” Newsom stated in a news release. “California’s legal market also produces billions of dollars for our state economy.”

According to Newsom’s Office, since the UCETF was established in 2022, the task force has recovered California than $120 million worth of illicit cannabis goods, including around 73,300 pounds of unregistered material. More than 122,000 illicit plants have been eliminated as a result of the law enforcement crackdowns.

Click here for additional details regarding the legal cannabis market in California, including the current laws and licensing requirements.