California’s cannabis enforcement task force has seized more than $61 million in illegal cannabis products since the start of the year, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Office announced on Tuesday. The crackdowns have so far led to the seizure of nearly 36,600 pounds of unlicensed cannabis and the eradication of over 62,000 plants.  “While we watch California’s legal cannabis market grow to become the largest worldwide, we are taking down those who operate outside the law. Putting a stop to illegal cannabis operations also means stopping organized crime, human trafficking, and the spread of illegal p ..read more

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) last week directed the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) to take action to protect youth from “mislabeled and potentially harmful hemp-infused products,” according to an April 26 press release. “Mislabeled and misleading products do not belong in the marketplace — especially when they put our kids’ health and safety at risk. Today, the state is taking action to protect Californians, especially our kids, as we work to further close loopholes and increase enforcement to prevent children from acce ..read more

Capping a spectacular public downfall, the multistate cannabis operator MedMen announced on Friday that it has filed for bankruptcy. “The difficult decision to shut down operations and commence the Bankruptcy Proceedings and Receivership Proceedings was made after careful consideration of the current financial condition of the Company and its subsidiaries, their inability to pay their liabilities as they become due and the anticipated enforcement actions of secured creditors.” — MedMen statement, in a press release Having once held the industry’s largest cannabis retail footprint in the US ..read more

California senators voted on Tuesday to advance a bill that would establish treatment centers in the state where adults aged 21 or older could access psychedelics including psilocybin, psilocyn, DMT, MDMA, and mescaline while under supervision, Marijuana Moment reports. The “Regulated Therapeutic Access to Psychedelics Act” passed the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee earlier this month, and the Public Safety Committee voted 3-2 this week to advance the proposal to the Appropriations Committee for consideration. Sponsored by Sen. Scott Wiener (D), the proposal cre ..read more

Last week, California’s Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) issued a mandatory recall for a Mike Tyson-branded product, Tyson Undisputed Cannabis Flower, due to contamination with Aspergillus sp., a type of mold. The recall, published on April 9, affects multiple products sold after August 24, 2023, including the TOAD and TADPOLES batches, distributed across several counties including Alameda, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. The flower was grown by manufacturer Northern Emeralds, who also partnered with rapper Future for a product collaboration last year. This incident follows on the heels of ..read more

A California man on Friday pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud in a hemp business fraud case that cost investors more than $18 million, the Los Angeles Times reports. Mark Roy Anderson, 69, was indicted last year in the scheme by a federal grand jury.  In the federal complaint, prosecutors said Anderson used the money collected from investors for Harvest Farm Group to buy a $1.3 million property in Ojai and another $2.3 million on personal expenses, including more than $650,000 for vintage and luxury automobiles, $13,000 for chartered private jet flights, and $142,000 for other hig ..read more

Last week, an illegal cannabis operation in East Oakland was dismantled by authorities, resulting in the seizure of plants with an estimated retail value exceeding $10 million. CBS News reported that the operation took place on the 700 block of Kevin Court, where the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and other agencies conducted a joint operation. This intervention followed an investigation into suspected illegal cultivation activities at the site. During the operation, over 12,000 cannabis plants were eradicated. A spokesperson for the Department of Fish and Wildlife shared these de ..read more

The organizers of San Francisco’s annual 4/20 cannabis festival in Golden Gate Park announced Tuesday that this year’s event has been canceled. Event organizers cited low sponsorship from the struggling cannabis industry and staffing concerns due to recent budget cuts for the city’s Recreation & Parks Department. For decades, cannabis supporters and enthusiasts have flooded Golden Gate Park’s Hippie Hill on April 20 — the event has historically drawn tourists from all over the state and beyond. In recent years, city officials have facilitated live music and allowed cannabis licensees to pu ..read more

California lawmakers could roll back the state’s policy protecting legal, off-duty cannabis use for law enforcement-related positions following new amendments to legislation currently sitting before the Senate Rules Committee, Marijuana Moment reports. Sponsored by state Sen. Shannon Grove (R), the newly amended SB 1264 seeks to remove protections for “employees in sworn or nonsworn positions within law enforcement agencies” who consume cannabis while off-duty. Currently, state law prohibits most California employers from terminating, refusing to hire, or otherwise penalizing employees for off ..read more

MedMen, the multistate cannabis operator (MSO) that once held the largest cannabis franchise footprint in the U.S., has shut down all but two of its California-based cannabis shops, MJBizDaily reports. The closures follow a years-long downward trend for the Los Angeles-based company, once considered a multi-billion dollar brand. MedMen’s last remaining California dispensaries are located in San Diego and near the Los Angeles International Airport. The company has also seen its stock price plummet more than 90% in three years and laid off more than 100 workers since late January, the report sai ..read more