A California task force this week seized nearly 2.3 million packages of illegal cannabis that were made to resemble children’s candy bags and illegally bore a California seal.
Led by the state’s Unified Cannabis Enforcement Task Force, the recent sting operation took place in the downtown Los Angeles toy district, according to an Aug. 13 news release by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“California is committed to supporting our safe and legal cannabis market. We will not tolerate criminal activity that undermines the legal market, especially when it puts children at risk,” Newsom said.
The bags had the designs and logos of Twinkies, Sweet Tarts, Starburst and other popular brands, and were illegally marked with the universal symbol for legal California cannabis, according to the release.
The universal cannabis symbol is used to indicate a product has been tested and licensed by the DCC, which is required under state law.In total, the task force seized 2,279,900 packages and separately seized 31 boxes and garbage bags filled with the illegal product, as well as 32 bags and boxes of illegal cigarettes and tobacco products.
The state Department of Tax and Fee Administration, Department of Cannabis Control (DCC), Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, and the Employment Development Department assisted in the operation, which focused on 11 storefronts in the toy district, said the governor’s office.
“Illegal packaging is dangerous to consumers, especially when it is ripping off well-known brands that are attractive to children, and needs to be removed from the marketplace,” said DCC Director Nicole Elliott.
Since January, Newsom’s task force has seized $120 million in illegal cannabis, according to a news release issued last week.
Since its inception in 2022, the cannabis task force has seized over $465 million in illegal cannabis through 309 search warrants. A total of 38 individuals have been arrested, 470,435 illegal cannabis plants destroyed, and 150 illegal firearms seized.
The task force was formed to combine the efforts of state, local, and federal partners, to protect consumers, and to reduce the profits of illegal operators and transnational criminal organizations, which undercut the legal cannabis market, said Newsom’s office.
The state is also cracking down on human trafficking and the exploitation of workers at facilities where illegal cannabis is grown, according to the release.
