Unlicensed outdoor cultivations located in Ukiah, Mendocino County / State of California
Sacramento, California – California’s multibillion-dollar cannabis market may be legal, but large-scale illegal grows remain a stubborn, sprawling problem. State officials say they’re making progress — and the numbers this quarter are staggering.
Governor Gavin Newsom announced Monday that the state’s Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce (UCETF) seized and destroyed more than $222 million worth of illegal cannabis between July and September 2025, the latest sign of California’s escalating crackdown on unlicensed operations.
“This sends a clear message,” Newsom said in a statement. “Illegal operations will not be tolerated.”
The task force, a coalition of more than two dozen local, state, and federal agencies, reported that its enforcement teams destroyed 133,372 pounds of processed cannabis and eradicated 234,198 plants across 15 counties, including Los Angeles, Monterey, Alameda, Kern, and Shasta. Officials say those plants alone would have consumed more than 105 million gallons of water during their growing cycles — a massive drain on resources in a state still struggling with water management and recurring droughts.
The effort also led to 18 arrests and the confiscation of 22 firearms, marking one of the largest single-quarter operations since the task force was established in 2022.
The biggest bust of the quarter came in July, when authorities dismantled a major illegal cultivation site in Monterey County. Led by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and backed by state cannabis regulators, that operation alone resulted in the destruction of more than 38 tons of cannabis, valued at over $125 million. Officials called it one of the most significant cannabis enforcement actions in state history.
“The impact from illegal cannabis operators is real,” said Nicole Elliott, director of the Department of Cannabis Control. “They don’t just break the law — they put our neighborhoods, environment, and licensed businesses at risk. These enforcement actions demonstrate our continued dedication to protecting communities and building a legal, safe cannabis market that Californians can trust.”
The task force’s August operations in Los Angeles County uncovered nearly 27,000 plants valued at $22 million, along with a cache of toxic pesticides imported from China. In Napa County, State Parks officers intercepted a water diversion scheme linked to another illegal grow and — in an unrelated emergency — rescued a kidnapped child, ensuring the child’s safe recovery and arresting a suspect wanted for multiple violent felonies.
The UCETF, co-chaired by the Department of Cannabis Control and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, is coordinated by the Homeland Security Division of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. Other agencies involved include State Parks, the Department of Tax and Fee Administration, the National Guard Counterdrug Task Force, and the Department of Justice.
“Illegal cannabis grow operations take—and often contaminate—natural resources that California’s fish and wildlife depend on,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham. “We’re fortunate to have so many partners working together to protect both public safety and the environment.”
Since its creation, the task force has seized more than 325 tons of illicit cannabis valued at nearly $1 billion, along with 223 firearms and over $1.3 million in cash.
California’s legal cannabis industry, once envisioned as a model for the nation, has struggled to compete with the black market’s lower prices and lighter regulation. The latest seizures show how much of that underground economy still thrives — and how far the state still has to go to stamp it out.
