Shutting Down Illegal Grows

August 1, 2019

Question: How does CDFW decide what illegal marijuana grows to shut down? (Anonymous)

Answer: CDFW has a long history of combatting illegal marijuana grows on public lands where some of the state’s worst environmental violations have been documented. The biggest concerns with illegal marijuana grows are water diversions, pesticide use, poaching, pollution and habitat destruction.

Today, CDFW focuses on illegal grows found on both private and public lands and uses a variety of tools when prioritizing enforcement efforts.

For illegal marijuana grows on private property, CDFW usually focuses on sites having the most environmental damage and areas with a history of illegal cultivation.

Parcels near sensitive watersheds and areas with threatened or endangered species are usually a big priority. Before a parcel is targeted for a search warrant, a thorough records check is conducted with CalCannabis and the county to verify what steps may or may not have been taken to obtain a commercial cannabis license.

During an enforcement action on private land, wildlife officers will document any state law violations and may eradicate any illegal plants. CDFW science staff will document environmental violations. From there, the case may be referred to the county District Attorney’s office or state Attorney General’s Office for prosecution. CDFW may also file a complaint for civil penalties. It’s up to the property owner to remediate the damage to the land. County officials may also step in and require a clean-up depending on the circumstances.

With public land marijuana grows (federal, state or county property), CDFW works with several allied agencies to determine what resources are available. Public land grows are a huge safety risk on properties that can be accessed by CDFW staff or the public. Illegal grows are usually guarded by armed individuals who will do what they feel is necessary to protect the plants.

Many grows are also found in once-secluded, pristine areas, now decimated by huge amounts of garbage, land clearing and banned pesticides. Many of California’s threatened and endangered species are victims of this egregious behavior.

Remediation efforts to restore the land are handled by various government agencies which can take days or weeks to complete and cost thousands of taxpayer dollars.

That said, it’s a huge task to combat illegal grows. CDFW takes immense pride on the efforts to protect California’s fish and wildlife, and the habitats they depend upon to live and thrive.

At the start of Archery buck season I stumbled into a small illegal grow of about 150-200 plants...(the owners of the property had no idea). Next trip up there I will post a sign asking them to remove it or the sheriff will be notified.

At the start of Archery buck season I stumbled into a small illegal grow of about 150-200 plants...(the owners of the property had no idea). Next trip up there I will post a sign asking them to remove it or the sheriff will be notified.

Post a sign at the local homeless hangout, you'll get a quicker response.  By the way, what are those stains on your pillow case?