Defending delicate habitats throughout California, state officers take away 21,000 illicit hashish vegetation

An unlawful hashish develop website in San Bernardino that CDFW raided in August 2025. Cannabis vegetation are rising amongst western Joshua bushes with a visual container of rodenticide and hosing used to illegally divert water.

Water from this pure spring was diverted to develop the illicit vegetation in San Bernardino County.

Officials destroyed greater than 150 kilos of hashish that had already been processed on the market. In addition to eradicating a number of bottles of extremely poisonous pesticides banned within the U.S. as a result of well being and security hazards, officers additionally restored water circulate at places the place water had been illegally diverted to provide these grows. According to CDFW, the 21,000 hashish vegetation would have used as much as 9.5 million gallons of water over their rising cycles if they’d not been eradicated. 

“Nearby communities and fish and wildlife depend on clean water from these watersheds,” stated CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham. “When criminals steal or destroy the natural resources that support California’s extraordinary biodiversity, we are committed to stopping them—and we have the teams in place to do that, no matter how far into the wilderness they try to hide their operations.”

CDFW officers strolling by way of an unlawful hashish develop website in Santa Cruz County.

Holding illicit hashish growers accountable

These unlawful grows typically injury pure sources—for instance, they use fertilizers and pesticides that contaminate soil and water and divert water important for fish and wildlife. 

Officers arrested eight suspects in the course of the six operations on a number of prices together with cultivation of hashish with illegal take, hashish cultivation inflicting substantial environmental hurt to public lands, hashish cultivation leading to air pollution of waters of the state, depositing hazardous substances on land belonging to a different, and resisting arrest.

CDFW officers climbing down a steep cliff at daybreak whereas investigating unlawful hashish cultivation in Los Angeles County.

Report unlawful out of doors hashish grows

Officers discovered of the illicit websites by way of stories from involved residents—in a single case, a hunter scouting for deer. The public stays probably the greatest sources for stories of unlawful hashish cultivation exercise on federal, state and county property. To share a tip—24 hours a day, seven days per week—name (888) 334-2258, ship a textual content to 847411 (TIP411) or go to here. To be taught extra about CDFW’s position in serving to to guard California’s pure sources whereas supporting the regulated hashish cultivation trade, go to CDFW’s Cannabis Program on-line.