California Department of Taxation and Customs seizes $168 million worth of illegal marijuana
LOS ANGELES:- California’s tax and fee agency has seized over $168 million worth of illicit cannabis and tobacco products since 2019.
Supporting law enforcement operations focused on illegal cultivation, production, and trafficking, the agency confiscated these products by investigating businesses for fraud and tax evasion and seizing illicit cannabis and tobacco items from retailers.
Supporting law enforcement actions targeting illegal cultivation, production, and trafficking, the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration has seized over $168 million worth of illicit cannabis and tobacco products by investigating fraud and tax evasion and confiscating these illegal goods from retailers.
Trista Gonzalez, Director of the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, said, “Through strong partnerships and strategic law enforcement, we are holding wrongdoers accountable while protecting vital tax revenue that supports essential public services.”
It is worth noting that California has made historic investments to build and protect the largest legal cannabis market in the United States.
In June, Governor Newsom announced $227 million in grants to local governments to combat illegal cannabis activity and strengthen coordinated enforcement efforts across the state.
California has seized over $1.3 billion worth of illegal cannabis through the enforcement operations of the Coordinated Cannabis Enforcement Task Force.
The department is collaborating to enforce laws regulating other illicit products sold at retail. These coordinated efforts—following 23,174 site visits—have resulted in a 99.32% compliance rate with California’s cannabis regulations among licensed alcohol retailers, with 7,403 illicit products removed from store shelves.
