California Attorney General Rob Bonta, together with local and federal law enforcement partners, on Tuesday announced the eradication of 774,829 illegally cultivated cannabis plants and 106,141 pounds of processed cannabis, as well as 282 arrests in 36 different counties across California as part of Eradication and Prevention of Illicit Cannabis, or EPIC, program.

The total underground market price for these seizures is valued at approximately $353 million.

EPIC is an interagency task force focused on combating the illegal cannabis market, cannabis enforcement work, and investigating and prosecuting civil and criminal cases with a focus on environmental, economic and labor impacts from illegal cultivation.

“California has the largest safe, legal, and regulated cannabis market in the world, but unfortunately illegal and unlicensed grows continue to proliferate,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “The EPIC program was forged out of our recognition of the need for a more comprehensive approach that addresses the broader implications of the underground cannabis market. This includes tackling the environmental damage caused by these illicit activities, as well as the economic ramifications that arise from unregulated cultivation. Furthermore, there is a growing concern about labor exploitation within this underground market, where workers may face unsafe conditions and unfair treatment. I want to express my gratitude to the various partners involved in this effort, including local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Together, we are working toward a solution that not only curtails illegal activities but also promotes a sustainable and equitable cannabis industry in the state.”

“California has the largest state park system in the country with 1.59 million acres of park land to protect," said California State Parks Law Enforcement Assistant Chief Jeremy Stinson. "Unfortunately, illegal cannabis cultivation is a serious threat to that land with more than 400 sites documented. California State Parks appreciates being a partner agency within EPIC to help address this issue. Protecting our state’s natural resources for all Californians and future generations is an important part of our mission. We look forward to continuing this valuable partnership to preserve and protect California’s state parks system.”

“California cannabis enforcement has a long way to go to ensure that the illicit cannabis doesn’t make it into the legal market," said San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus. "Partnerships like EPIC are a major step forward in tackling this problem.”

Over the course of the 2024 season, EPIC teams operating in Northern, Central, and Southern California, conducted 665 operations, recovered 201 weapons, and removed 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 soil and nearby water sources.

In 2024, EPIC operations were conducted in the following 36 counties:

Alameda: 1 site, 751 plants eradicated
Butte: 5 sites, 4,397 plants eradicated
Colusa: 3 sites, 10 plants eradicated
Contra Costa: 2 sites, 5,010 plants eradicated
El Dorado: 8 sites, 2,174 plants eradicated
Fresno: 31 sites, 52,796 plants eradicated
Glenn: 1 site, 747 plants eradicated
Kern: 60 sites, 89,819 plants eradicated
Kings: 1 site, 539 plants eradicated
Lake: 48 sites, 42,776 plants eradicated
Lassen: 1 site, 7,359 plants eradicated
Los Angeles: 3 sites, 3,684 plants eradicated
Madera: 3 sites, 1,230 plants eradicated
Mariposa: 2 sites, 1,368 plants eradicated
Mendocino: 116 sites, 133,702 plants eradicated
Nevada: 33 sites, 28,428 plants eradicated
Riverside: 79 sites, 136,601 plants eradicated
Sacramento: 13 sites, 46,042 plants eradicated
San Bernardino: 23 sites, 27,845 plants eradicated
San Diego: 7 sites, 9,301 plants eradicated
Santa Barbara: 1 site, 362 plants eradicated
Santa Clara: 2 sites, 1,012 plants eradicated
Shasta: 67 sites, 51,289 plants eradicated
Siskiyou: 98 sites, 67,943 plants eradicated
Stanislaus: 6 sites, 5,103 plants eradicated
Trinity: 38 sites, 32,381 plants eradicated
Tulare: 7 sites, 5,468 plants eradicated
Tuolumne: 2 sites, 7,637 plants eradicated
Ventura: 3 sites, 7,891 plants eradicated
Yuba: 2 sites, 1,164 plants eradicated
Monterey: reconnaissance only
Napa: reconnaissance only
San Benito: reconnaissance only
San Luis Obispo: reconnaissance only
Santa Cruz: reconnaissance only
Solano: reconnaissance only

The EPIC program focuses on the investigation and prosecution of civil and criminal cases relating to illicit cannabis cultivation with a focus on environmental and economic harms and labor exploitation.

EPIC is a multi-agency collaboration led by DOJ in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s U.S. Forest Service; the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service; the California Department of Fish and Wildlife; the U.S. Department of Justice’s Drug Enforcement Administration; the California National Guard, Counter Drug Task Force; the Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program; California State Parks; California Environmental Protection Agency; and other local law enforcement departments.