According to a new report, released by the California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC), the agency has vastly improved enforcement of illicit marijuana operations over the past two years in the state.
The report's enforcement statistics show the following:
- Search warrant operations increased from 62 in 2021 to 155 in 2022, up 150%.
- Seizures of illegal weed reached 144,254 pounds in 2022, a 246% jump from 41,726 pounds a year earlier.
- Arrests in 2022 more than tripled to 56.
Also, “seizures of illegal cannabis in 2022 hit $243 million, a 211% year-over-year increase from about $78 million, though monetary estimates are often inflated by government agencies,” per MjBizDaily.
David Hafner, a spokesman for the DCC, commented: "We have been focused on cultivation efforts in 2022 which have a higher yield of illegal cannabis versus dispensaries (...) There's always a safety risk with these illegal operations because many of these are organized by criminal organizations who often are armed and dangerous."
In addition, he said "less than 40% of the state has licensed retail establishments and so people in most of the state if they want to buy cannabis conveniently, they're turning to the illegal market," per Fox KTVU.
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