Law Enforcement

California’s Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce seized 2,652 illegally cultivated cannabis plants and “multiple bags” of illegal pesticides, the governor said on Monday.

Missouri officials announced a new joint task force aimed at reigning in the spread of “unlicensed psychoactive cannabis products” in the state.

California Attorney General Bob Ronta said police officers last week busted a retail burglary ring that targeted cannabis shops, leading to nearly two dozen arrests.

Police in Allen, Texas said this week they raided nine hemp product retailers after an investigation found they were selling products containing an illegal amount of THC. An attorney representing the stores called the raid an intimidation tactic and said his clients had been operating lawfully.

The DEA has scheduled a December 2 hearing to review expert opinions on the proposed rescheduling of cannabis to a Schedule III drug, adding a procedural step that could delay the process until after the November election.

California regulators recently destroyed hemp being grown in 22 greenhouses in Sutter County due to the presence of banned pesticides.

The Maine Public Utilities Commission has rejected a proposal to proactively report high electricity consumption to police; the proposal was meant to detect the unlawful cultivation of cannabis.

California officials with the Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce (UCETF) recently seized more than 2.2 million illicit cannabis packages — many of which were packaged to resemble popular food and candy brands — during a recent sting operation in Los Angeles.

Police in Norwalk, Connecticut arrested a 21-year-old for allegedly selling cannabis products without a license; officers said some of the products tested positive for fentanyl.

State and city cannabis enforcement task forces in New York say they have shuttered more than 1,000 unlicensed cannabis operations since April under legislation signed into law this year by Gov. Kathy Hochul (D).

Police officers in Fairfield, California last month raided three indoor illegal cannabis grows and officials issued fines totaling $1,313,000 related to the enforcement actions. Meanwhile, state officials also recently took down multiple illegal outdoor grow sites located near two state parks.

The public comment period for cannabis rescheduling to Schedule III ends July 22, with over 37,000 submissions received so far.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent cease-and-desist letters to five companies selling hemp-derived THC products, accusing them of marketing to children by using packaging similar to mainstream, popular foods.

A recent report by WeedWeek has revealed that a detective with the California Department of Cannabis Control faces federal charges for alleged illicit firearm sales.

A new Minnesota law bars police from carrying out warrantless vehicle searches based solely on the detection of cannabis odor; the law reaffirms the state’s Supreme Court ruling on the issue last year.

Since its launch about three weeks ago, the New York task force assigned to shutting down illegally operating cannabis dispensaries has closed 114 storefronts.

A Texas judge has dismissed a lawsuit by Attorney General Ken Paxton that sought to nullify voter-approved local cannabis decriminalization ordinances in Austin, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and San Marcos.

The owner of seven unlicensed New York cannabis shops has been fined $15.2 million, including $7 million in disgorgement fines and $8.2 million in penalties for operating without a license, ignoring multiple notices by officials, and selling cannabis to underage customers.

Joe Biden has announced that the US Justice Department is moving cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III. In his announcement, he stated that he is committed to “righting the wrongs” of prohibition, though Schedule III status doesn’t do anything specific to help those currently incarcerated.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced this week that the state’s cannabis enforcement task force has seized more than $61 million worth of illegal cannabis products since the start of the year.

Despite state laws legalizing cannabis commerce, federal Customs and Border Patrol agents in New Mexico have for months been seizing legal cannabis shipments as they are shipped between the state’s southern and northern regions.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Tuesday that city officials will take action across the city against illegally operating cannabis shops as part of an enforcement effort called “Operation Padlock to Protect.”

Missouri AG Andrew Bailey has launched an investigation into illicit vape and cannabis product distributors in the state, sending civil investigative demands to 22 companies selling delta-8 and delta-9 THC products.