Authorities in the state of California seized 2.2 million illicit packages of cannabis, many of which were designed to appeal to children, in a sting operation in downtown Los Angeles’ Toy District on July 17.
The operation targeted 11 storefronts where multiple businesses were manufacturing and selling packaging used in the illicit marijuana market, according to a news release from Governor Gavin Newsom’s office on August 13.
Some of the packages that were confiscated by the Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce (UCETF), which was created by Newsom in 2022, resemble Twinkies and Sweet Tarts. They were marked by a symbol indicating that the product was legal in California, which is designed to create a sense of trust in consumers. This symbol is posted on products that have been tested and that complies with regulatory standards for safe testing.
“This packaging provides a thin yet frightening veil of legitimacy for illicit operators,” Nick Maduros, director of the California Department of Cannabis Control, was quoted as saying in a statement.
Maduros went on to add, “It violates the trust of California consumers who believe that the cannabis symbol signifies a certain product standard, and it enables illegal operators to circumvent tax and licensing requirements.”
The seal on these packages had been forged, giving would-be purchasers the impression that the products had been vetted by the state.
“California is committed to supporting our safe and legal cannabis market. We will not tolerate criminal activity that undermines the legal market, especially when it puts children at risk,” Governor Gavin Newsom stated. “This successful operation in the Toy District reinforces our commitment and sends a clear warning to criminals choosing to operate outside the safer legal industry.”
In addition to the packages of contraband, the task force confiscated 21 banker’s boxers and garbage bags that were filled with cannabis, as well as 23 boxes and bags of unregulated cigarettes and other types of tobacco products.
Under state law, cannabis goods must be labeled to let customers know what they are buying and to prevent product misuse. Those who sell the products are required to have products that are child-resistant, resealable, and opaque if it’s an edible product. Products must feature a marijuana leaf symbol and an exclamation mark inside a triangle.
However, some within the illegal weed market have been illegally using the packaging with the label to sell black market products.
“There is a lot of counterfeit product out there in the state, which makes it even harder for consumers to know what they’re buying and whether what they’re buying has been produced lawfully, is being sold lawfully and has been tested,” Maduros said.
The proliferation of the products negatively affects licensed businesses who pay taxes and follow the state’s regulations, he added.
To legally sell packages marked with the California seal, businesses have to be licensed with the Department of Cannabis Control or have invoices from a cannabis business licensed by the market.
The sting operation against the businesses in the Toy District was the first conducted by the task force that focused on cannabis packaging. Passage of Assembly Bill 1126, which had gone into effect this year, allows the state to seize these types of materials.
Maduros said, “I think this is just the start of what we have to do to combat this problem.”
Governor Newsom also stated, “The legal cannabis market brings billions of dollars to our state’s economy, helping to sustain California’s position as the fifth-largest economy in the world.”
Newsom went on to add, “We will not tolerate illegal operations that threaten our economy and the health and well-being of California communities.”
