California Governor Gavin Newsom today said California’s Unified Cannabis Enforcement Task Force (UCETF) has seized $70.7 million worth of illegal cannabis since July and more than $191 million worth across 13 counties since January 2024.
Today’s UCETF update follows actions announced earlier this month in which over $2.3 million in illegal cannabis and toxic pesticide products, including 2,652 plants, were seized under a single operation.
At the same time, Newsom is going after intoxicating hemp products. Last month, he announced emergency hemp regulations in response to increasing health incidents related to intoxicating hemp food and beverage products, which state regulators found sold across the state. The new regulations ban any detectable quantity of THC from consumable hemp products to protect youth and mitigate the risk of adverse health effects. The emergency regulations are designed to better align the sale of hemp products with restrictions currently seen in the California legal cannabis market by limiting serving and package size and establishing a minimum age of 21 to legally purchase industrial hemp food, beverage and dietary products.
The emergency regulations are facing legal challenges from the hemp industry but a Los Angeles County Superior Court recently issued a decision rejecting attempts to block enforcement of the regulations.
Since the emergency hemp regulations were put in place, agents from California’s Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) have visited 673 locations and seized 1,622 illegal hemp products. ABC will continue to visit licensed locations throughout the state to enforce the new regulations and ensure illegal products are not being sold.
Since inception, UCETF has seized and destroyed more than 162 tons worth of illegal cannabis worth an estimated $536 million through more than 350 operations. The taskforce has also eradicated 526,037 plants, seized 167 firearms, and arrested 59 individuals.