With the dawn of the new year, California introduces several laws, including one aimed at safeguarding children from accessing illegal and potentially hazardous marijuana. Law enforcement contends that untested illegal cannabis may harbor pesticides or other harmful chemicals.
During a recent investigation in Los Angeles’ Toy District, authorities discovered numerous packages adorned with vibrant colors and featuring cartoon characters, some referencing famous movies or musicians. The California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) asserts that all items found inside these stores are illegal.
Nicole Elliott, Director of the California Department of Cannabis Control, expressed concern, stating, “What we saw in the Toy District was an enormous amount of packaging that would never be allowed in the California legal cannabis market. It is extremely attractive to children. It carries the universal symbol of legal California cannabis, so it deceives consumers, and it is sold in bulk in the Toy District.”
The DCC enforcement team, accompanied by Elliott, visited four locations in Los Angeles in November. These locations had reportedly been served with search warrants six months earlier and were warned about “unlicensed commercial cannabis activity.” However, upon revisiting, authorities found that these businesses were operational again.
Inside one location on South Inglewood Avenue, the DCC discovered products with packaging similar to what they had observed in Toy District stores the day before.
With the recent passage of AB 1126, authorities now have enhanced powers to address this issue. Starting in the new year, the Department, along with law enforcement, can seize and destroy packaging found to be used unlawfully. Elliott explained, “Now we’re really focused on the product within that packaging. We can definitely seize packaging, but not in this sort of comprehensive way. So, this really makes it crystal clear that we have authority to seize when that universal symbol is on that packaging and it is not being used for lawful commercial purposes.” The new regulation allows for a more thorough approach to combating the illicit cannabis market and protecting children from potential harm.