The following is a press release issued by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife:
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) cannabis enforcement program has released year-end numbers for the 2021 calendar year.
CDFW investigates illegal cannabis cultivation operations to uncover and curtail operations that result in significant environmental damage. Some of the most serious environmental issues involve unauthorized streambed alterations with water diversions, habitat destruction, illegal use of pesticides and poaching. CDFW does not typically investigate water theft but will assist county law enforcement partners in such investigations as needed.
“Illegal operators who are trying to bypass the legal system are a threat to California’s fish and wildlife resources, and a detriment to those legally cultivating cannabis,” said David Bess, CDFW Deputy Director and Chief of the Law Enforcement Division. “Our wildlife officers did an exceptional job in providing public safety alongside our federal, state and county partners and I could not be prouder of their dedication and commitment to protecting the environment. Our year-end numbers are a testament to all their hard work throughout the year.”
Some of the year’s notable accomplishments include:
- 2.6 million illegal cannabis plants eradicated
- 487,270 lbs. of illegal cannabis flower destroyed
- 1,125 search warrants served
- 794 firearms seized
- 32,230 lbs. of trash removed from public lands
- 404 illegal water diversions removed
*Numbers reflect all operations where CDFW was either the lead agency or in a support role.
According to statistics from the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP) program, illegal cannabis cultivation continues to move away from public land operations to private property. In 2018, the ratio of illegal activity was approximately 80 percent on public lands and 20 percent on private property. The number of illegal cannabis grows on public lands has continued to decrease steadily over the last few years and in 2021, the DOJ’s CAMP program cited less than 30 percent of illegal cultivation activity on public lands.
Today, CDFW has 68 dedicated cannabis enforcement officers who work with county, state and federal partners to combat illegal cultivation activity.
CDFW encourages the public to report environmental crimes such as water pollution and poaching to the CalTIP hotline by calling (888) 334-2258 or by texting information to “TIP411” (847411).
That’s a drop in an ocean:
Good Mulch
George Washington was America’s largest distiller of whiskey. His whiskey tax caused our first civil war, the Whiskey Rebellion. Taxation without representation is tyranny? Only when you tax the rich
This tax was paying for the war against Brittin that only favored rich colonists.Poor could not even vote under new American law
Spank you very mulch
They could burn all that weed in pulp generators and light cities
Maybe compete with PG&E monopoly for power
Lol! Love your comment!
Wonder how many of those guns actually got checked into evidence. CDFW has a long history of stealing firearms, and then selling them on the black market.
I also wonder how much of that 500,000 lbs were “destroyed”.
I got caught hunting ducks in Donner State Park when I was 13. The rangers let me go but kept my old Remington single shot rolling block 22 rifle. I’ll bet that’s worth a couple grand today
STORM TROOPERS
Putin would like them
You would think the destruction of 2.6 million plants could make an impact on the black market, NOPE! The folks paying for permits, and licensing and the huge taxes are getting squeezed out of existence. Between the lack of water and the over abundance of fees and taxes this legal cannabis business ain’t like the old days!
You got that right! Going legal was the biggest challenge and mistake we ever made! The entire cannabis program was rigged to fail and it is a big fat joke!
Let me be clear. The cannabis program/industry was rigged to fail! The agencies we worked so hard with, paid for licensing through, and made us think they were there for us when and if the shit hit the fan didn’t step up or stop the illegal raids that were being done by corrupt law enforcement! We had our licenses placed all over the farm and they chose to ignore them. We took the MCSD to court, to the appeals, and the federal court. We never got a chance in court. We won but we lost because we never saw reparation.
Skunkworx pharms has since surrendered our hard earned licenses and chose to walk away.
Rigged to Fail
PS
If it weren’t for those damn fires! Pg&e wildfires of 2017 is to blame for the collapse and the domino effect of our 7MM dollar company
Santa got pulled over by the Coast Guard
Undercover elves claimed contraband
Cavity search that lasted several hours
They put an orange jumpsuit on that jolly man
Seven thousand Mendocino Cookies
Humbolt County Poundcakes by the score
Mushrooms grown in Buycharts magic garden
Vanished from impound where they were stored
Psychiatrist declared Santa Bi polar
With grandiose delusions of the mind
Medicate that poor psychotic bastard
And electroshock him so he can unwind
Rain deer got sold off at police auction
Oscar Mayer bought them for a song
Made them into fancy Christmas hotdogs
Red Nosed Label special one foot long