{"id":21019,"date":"2019-11-04T19:43:30","date_gmt":"2019-11-05T03:43:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/associatednews.info\/content\/california-seizes-more-than-1-5-billion-in-illegal-marijuana\/"},"modified":"2019-11-04T19:43:30","modified_gmt":"2019-11-05T03:43:30","slug":"california-seizes-more-than-1-5-billion-in-illegal-marijuana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/associatednews.info\/content\/california-seizes-more-than-1-5-billion-in-illegal-marijuana\/","title":{"rendered":"California Seizes More Than $1.5 Billion In Illegal Marijuana"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Richard Gonzales<\/a><\/span> <\/p>\n

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\n An illegal cannabis cultivation site in the City of Santa Maria, in San Luis Obispo County, Calif. Authorities seized 20 tons of illegal cannabis in a raid that lasted four days in June 2019.<\/p>\n

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AP<\/p>\n

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AP<\/p>\n

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California authorities announced they seized more than $1.5 billion worth of illegal marijuana in fiscal year 2019, or the rough equivalent of the state’s legal market for cannabis.<\/p>\n

More than 953,000 plants were seized from 345 raided grow sites around the state. Authorities arrested 148 people and confiscated 168 weapons under California’s Campaign Against Marijuana Planting, or CAMP program.<\/p>\n

“Illegal cannabis grows are devastating our communities. Criminals who disregard life, poison our waters, damage our public lands, and weaponize the illegal cannabis black market will be brought to justice,” said Attorney General Xavier Becerra in a statement<\/a> on Monday.<\/p>\n

The value of the seizures was based on the estimated wholesale price of $1,600 per plant.<\/p>\n

A cannabis industry expert quoted<\/a> by the Associated Press said that wholesale costs are doubled for the retail marijuana market, so the state seizures would be worth $3 billion of illegally grown marijuana.<\/p>\n

California’s seizures are “equal to our entire regulated market, said Jerrod Kiloh, president of the United Cannabis Business Association.<\/p>\n

Although cannabis has been legalized for use in California, there is still a large unlicensed black market,” said Robert Paoletti, Coordinator Colonel, California National Guard Counterdrug Task Force. “Our participation works to prevent this illegal market in order to promote a fair market place for those growers, producers, and vendors who choose to operate within the system that the voters approved.”<\/p>\n