{"id":149273,"date":"2022-10-15T18:23:20","date_gmt":"2022-10-16T01:23:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=149273"},"modified":"2022-10-15T18:23:20","modified_gmt":"2022-10-16T01:23:20","slug":"attorney-general-bonta-announces-eradication-of-nearly-one-million-cannabis-plants-as-part-of-interagency-effort-to-combat-illegal-market","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=149273","title":{"rendered":"Attorney General Bonta Announces Eradication of Nearly One Million Cannabis Plants as Part of Interagency Effort to Combat Illegal Market"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sacramento, CA… Seasonal eradication program to transition to year-round enforcement task force focused on addressing environmental, economic, and labor crimes. California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the eradication of nearly one million illegally cultivated cannabis plants and the seizure of more than 200,000 pounds of illegally processed cannabis as part of the California Department of Justice\u2019s annual Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP) program. Since 1983, this 13-week program has eradicated more than 33 million illegal cannabis plants. Beginning this fall, this seasonal eradication program will transition into a year-round task force. The Eradication and Prevention of Illicit Cannabis (EPIC) task force will allow the California Department of Justice (DOJ) to build out its cannabis enforcement work and investigate and prosecute civil and criminal cases with a focus on environmental, economic, and labor impacts from illegal cultivation.<\/p>\n

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\u201cCalifornia has the largest\u00a0safe, legal, and\u00a0regulated cannabis market in the world, but unfortunately\u00a0illegal and unlicensed grows\u00a0continue to\u00a0proliferate,\u201d\u00a0said Attorney General Rob Bonta.\u00a0<\/b>\u201cThe California Department of Justice’s CAMP task force works tirelessly each year to eradicate illegal grows and reclaim\u00a0our public lands, but shutting down these grows is no longer\u00a0enough. With the transition to EPIC, we’re\u00a0taking the next step and\u00a0building out our efforts to address the environmental and economic harms and\u00a0labor exploitation associated with this\u00a0underground market.\u00a0I want to thank all our local, state, and federal partners for their longstanding collaboration on CAMP\u00a0and\u00a0ongoing commitment to tackle this problem\u00a0through the EPIC\u00a0task force.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCollaboration is one of our best defenses in combatting illicit cannabis grows. Our continued partnership with the multiagency CAMP program aligns with our core mission to protect California\u2019s native plants, fish and wildlife,\u201d\u00a0said David Bess, Deputy Director and Chief of the Law Enforcement Division for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife<\/b>. \u201cAdditionally, removing untested and potentially harmful cannabis products from the illicit market, helps the regulated cannabis market succeed, while providing another layer of public safety.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIllegal cultivation of marijuana on public lands continues to be a major problem for California. These illegal operations have a devastating impact on our environment and the health and safety of communities and public land users,\u201d\u00a0said Karen Mouritsen, California State Director for the Bureau of Land Management.\u00a0<\/b>\u201cThe BLM is proud to be a part of CAMP\u2019s federal, state and local law enforcement partnership and its mission to protect our public lands and maintain public safety.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCAMP and the cooperative efforts of our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners play a vital role in sustaining the health, diversity, and productivity of public lands,\u201d\u00a0said Dylan Ragan, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Land Management\u2019s Office of Law Enforcement and Security in California.<\/b>\u00a0\u201cWorking together, we bring a whole government approach to combating the damage caused by illegal marijuana cultivation on public lands. This cultivation threatens public lands by introducing dangerous pesticides, unlawfully diverting waterways, and involving drug trafficking organizations.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe USDA, Forest Service, Law Enforcement and Investigations (USDA, FS, LEI) has been a partner in the CAMP program for the entirety of its nearly 30-year history,\u201d\u00a0said Jeff Sadowski, Assistant Special Agent in Charge – Aviation and Special Operations, U.S. Forest Service.\u00a0<\/b>\u201cThe USDA, FS, LEI looks forward to a similarly exemplary relationship with the new EPIC program in continuing to pursue those who would damage our public lands through the illicit production of marijuana.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the course of the 2022 season, CAMP teams operating in Northern, Central, and Southern California,\u00a0conducted 449 operations, recovered 184 weapons, and removed nearly 67,000 pounds of cultivation infrastructure, including dams, water lines, and containers of toxic chemicals, such as carbofuran, methyl parathion, aluminum phosphate, zinc phosphide, and illegal fertilizers. Carbofuran, in particular, poses untold risks to public health. A lethal insecticide that is effectively banned in the United States, carbofuran remains on plants after application and seeps into\u00a0soil and nearby water sources. Just a quarter teaspoon of carbofuran can kill a 600-pound lion.<\/p>\n

In 2022, CAMP operations were conducted in the following 26 counties:<\/p>\n