California Seized $609M Worth of Illicit Cannabis In 2025

The California Unified Cannabis Enforcement Task Force (UCETF) in 2025
seized $609 million in illicit cannabis, according to data posted Tuesday
by the Office of Gov. Gavin Newsom (D).

The total seized in 2025 — about 377,000 pounds, according to the state —
was an 18 times increase since the task force’s launch in 2022.
Additionally, last year’s seizures raised the total amount of illegal
cannabis seized by the task force to more than 757,000 pounds, worth about
$1.2 billion.

“California is making historic strides in dismantling the illicit cannabis
market. This success is a testament to strong partnerships and our
commitment to protect our environment, ensure public safety, and safeguard
the legal cannabis industry from those who think the law doesn’t apply to
them.” — Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), in a statement

In California, the unregulated cannabis market gets to sidestep the legal
industry’s myriad regulations, which simplifies operations and makes it
easy to undercut the regulated market’s prices. The industry also faces
some of the highest tax rates in the country, which widens the price gap
even further.

Meanwhile, in December, an Orange County judge determined that the
Department of Cannabis Control was aware of regulatory flaws allowing bad
actors in the state to divert “untold millions of pounds” of cannabis to
the illicit market, but failed to take steps to address the issue.