California Seizes More Than $1.5 Billion In Illegal Marijuana
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.
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.
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 on Monday.
The value of the seizures was based on the estimated wholesale price of $1,600 per plant.
A cannabis industry expert quoted 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.
NPR