Law Enforcement

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.

European law enforcement officials say they coordinated the takedown of a cannabis investment Ponzi scheme affecting at least 186,000 victims last week with a law enforcement action that included more than 400 officers in 11 countries.

Federal agents with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection have seized more than $300,000 in state-legal cannabis products via traffic checkpoints in New Mexico.

Police said that a multi-agency law enforcement operation last week in East Oakland yielded about $10 million worth of illicit cannabis products.

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has signed a bill to recriminalize the possession of certain drugs in the state, undoing key provisions of the state’s voter-approved decriminalization bill that took effect three years ago.

California lawmakers may look to undo employment protections covering legal, off-duty cannabis use by law enforcement-related positions including police officers, dispatch, animal control, and coroners.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) signed into law two cannabis regulation bills this week: one to allow law enforcement and other government agencies to search medical cannabis businesses, and one to ban intoxicating hemp products in the state.

Connecticut lawmakers have advanced a proposal giving the state attorney general and law enforcement officials more power to penalize and shut down shops that illegally sell THC products. The bill will be considered next on the House floor.