Illegal Marijuana Grows Continue to Threaten Legal Cannabis Industry

Illegal Marijuana Grows Continue to Threaten Legal Cannabis Industry
Cannabis samples in Santa Ana, Calif., on Feb. 18, 2021. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times
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When Proposition 64 was passed in 2016 and legalized recreational marijuana use, many Californians celebrated. But five years later, cannabis business leaders are sounding the alarm on taxes hampering the industry, and experts say illegal marijuana grows ran by drug cartels are popping up across the state.

“These trespass[ing] illegal cannabis growers, a majority of them being from cartel groups out of Mexico, are all over California,” Ret. Spec Ops Lt. John Nores Jr. told The Epoch Times. “The problem was how we regulated.”

Jamie Joseph
Jamie Joseph
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Jamie is a California-based reporter covering issues in Los Angeles and state policies for The Epoch Times. In her free time, she enjoys reading nonfiction and thrillers, going to the beach, studying Christian theology, and writing poetry. You can always find Jamie writing breaking news with a cup of tea in hand.
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