More than $350 million in illegal cannabis has been seized in raids on illicit growers up and down California this year as law enforcement aims to protect the state’s legal market for pot products, Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Oct. 21.
Nearly 800,000 illegally cultivated cannabis plants have been eradicated and more than 100,000 pounds of processed cannabis seized, a press release from Bonta’s office said. Authorities also made 282 arrests and seized 201 weapons in 36 counties.
The operations were part of the Eradication and Prevention of Illicit Cannabis (EPIC) program, a collaboration of federal and state agencies. EPIC’s focus includes the environmental damage caused by illicit cannabis operations, their economic ramifications, as well as labor exploitation….