California’s Bureau of Cannabis Control is looking to increase its law enforcement presence in order to fight the black market for marijuana in the state.
According to a Sacramento Bee report, the bureau in a new state budget request is asking lawmakers to let it build an 87-member police force that would enforce the 2016 law voters passed legalizing recreational cannabis.
The law enforcement branch would be made by absorbing 58 positions from another department, and hiring 29 more cannabis cops.
BDS Analytics and Arcview Market Research has found that black market cannabis operators made an estimated $8.3 billion in sales in 2019, compared to the $3.1 billion the legal market made.
“Investigators have seized millions in untested products, including cannabis flower, edibles, tinctures, concentrates — all bypassing the state’s testing and labeling requirements,” said George Tiongson, president of the California Association of Criminal Investigators.
“Not only does this put the public in danger but it circumvents the control points set by regulations to ensure a safe product is available to the public, all while preventing access to youth under 18,” he said.
The bureau wants to take over the Department of Consumer Affairs’ Cannabis Enforcement Unit, which has 47 peace officers and 11 non-sworn personnel on staff.
The bureau also has requested to convert 29 open investigator positions into sworn peace officer positions, Tiongson said.
“Knowing first-hand how rampant the unlicensed and criminal cannabis activity is in the state, there is a definite need for additional peace officers to assist in the control and enforcement of the laws set forth by legislators and by propositions enacted by citizens of California,” Tiongson explained.
