In 2023 the state’s Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce (UCETF) seized 189,854.02 pounds (about 86.1 tonnes) of unlicensed cannabis and eradicated 317,834 plants across California, its first full calendar year of operation.[1][2] Officers served 188 search warrants, seized 119 illegally possessed firearms and took $223,809 in cash, valuing the cannabis products at $312,880,014.35.[1]
In the fourth quarter alone the task force served 24 warrants and seized 13,393.65 pounds of cannabis worth about $22.3 million, alongside 20,320 plants, 26 firearms and $35,195 in cash.[1][2] Alameda County led the year at $77.8 million seized, followed by Siskiyou, Mendocino, Los Angeles and Kern counties.[1][2]
Governor Gavin Newsom created UCETF in 2022 to align state enforcement and increase coordination between state, local and federal partners.[1][2] It is co-chaired by the Department of Cannabis Control and the Department of Fish and Wildlife and draws on more than 20 state agencies and departments.[1]
