State agents seized approximately $13.3 million in illicit cannabis and tobacco products from a Los Angeles County warehouse, the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration announced.
The seizure included 280,072 illegally labeled cannabis packages, 107,441 packages of cannabis edibles, 84,463 THC vape pens, 9,303 grams of cannabis flower, and nearly $3 million in illicit tobacco products. The case began when the warehouse's property owner discovered the products after a tenant abandoned the property and stopped paying rent, leading the owner to contact state officials.
The enforcement action reflects California's effort to combat an unlicensed cannabis market that officials say undermines regulated businesses. Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the state's regulated cannabis market has generated nearly $8.4 billion in tax revenue since 2018, with nearly $4.5 billion from cannabis excise taxes and nearly $3.4 billion from sales taxes. In the second quarter of 2026 alone, cannabis retailers remitted $261.7 million in excise and sales tax revenue.
CDTFA Director Trista Gonzalez said that "taking illicit cannabis off the streets protects California's law-abiding licensed businesses and is another step toward a fairer marketplace for those who follow the rules, pay their taxes, and invest in California."