Thousands of cannabis plants were seized by state officials in a raid this week in West Oakland, authorities said.
Officers with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife along with the state Department of Cannabis Control say they seized 41,082 cannabis plants and destroyed 1,841 pounds of processed cannabis Tuesday at a warehouse on Adeline Street in the raid. Additionally, three firearms were also taken by authorities.
“The estimated retail value of the illegal cannabis is $36,930,300,” Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesperson Janice Mackey told The Standard in an email. “This is one of the largest cannabis enforcement actions (in terms of retail value) in the Bay Area this year.”
No arrests were made during the raid, Mackey added, but suspects were interviewed by officers at the scene.
The raid comes months after state officials busted two illegal grows at 744 Kevin Court and 4825 San Leandro St. in Oakland in which they say officers seized over $36 million worth of cannabis between the two sites.
According to the Department of Cannabis Control, each plant can produce between half a pound and one pound of dried cannabis product.
California’s black market cannabis industry is estimated to be significantly larger than its legal counterpart, with $8.1 billion in illegally grown cannabis sold in 2022 compared with $5.4 billion in legal sales.
Both state agencies involved in this week’s West Oakland raid work jointly in the Unified Cannabis Enforcement Task Force, which Gov. Gavin Newsom created as a law enforcement body in 2021 to act as a cannabis law enforcement body.