California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the eradication of 728,458 illegally cultivated cannabis plants and 204 arrests in 34 counties across the state in 2025. The effort was part of the Eradication and Prevention of Illicit Cannabis (EPIC) program, an interagency task force that focuses on addressing illegal cannabis cultivation and its associated impacts.
“California has the largest safe, legal, and regulated cannabis market in the world, but unfortunately illegal and unlicensed grows continue to harm California lands,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “The EPIC program works to provide a comprehensive approach to addresses the broader implications of the underground cannabis market, from tackling the environmental damage caused by these illicit activities, to confronting the economic and labor ramifications that arise from unregulated cultivation. Together with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, the EPIC task force eradicated illegally cultivated cannabis plants across 34 California counties this year. Together, we are working toward a solution that not only curtails illegal activities but also promotes a sustainable and equitable cannabis industry in the state.”
The EPIC program is coordinated by multiple agencies led by the California Department of Justice. Other participants include federal partners such as the U.S. Forest Service; Bureau of Land Management; National Park Service; Drug Enforcement Administration; as well as state entities like California State Parks and Department of Fish and Wildlife.
“The California National Guard is proud to work with our interagency partners to combat illicit narcotics statewide,” said CalGuard Adjutant General Maj Gen Matthew Beevers. “Our Counterdrug Task Force provides technical support to local, state, and federal law enforcement, serving the public and protecting our communities.”
In 2025 alone, EPIC teams conducted 605 operations throughout Northern, Central, and Southern California. They recovered 170 weapons during these operations and removed infrastructure including dams, water lines, toxic chemicals such as carbofuran—an insecticide banned in the United States—and other hazardous substances.
“California State Parks—home to the nation’s largest state park system—plays a vital role in safeguarding the state’s most cherished landscapes and its natural and cultural resources,” said State Parks Director Armando Quintero. “Preventing and repairing the environmental harm caused by illegal cannabis cultivation is a top priority of our Cannabis Watershed Protection Program, and State Parks’ participation in the EPIC program is a critical component. This work is essential to our broader mission of keeping parks and surrounding communities safe, healthy and protected for generations to come.”
Illegal grow sites were found across numerous counties including Kern (127 sites), Mendocino (93 sites), Riverside (40 sites), Siskiyou (62 sites), Fresno (49 sites), Trinity (49 sites), Shasta (47 sites), Butte (11 sites) among others.
“Illicit cannabis grows like the ones the EPIC program targets do real harm to our natural resources and are a major public safety concern for Californians,” said California Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Charlton H. Bonham. “Dismantling them requires collaboration across all levels of government, and these results show how effective our partnerships continue to be.”
The Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program played an active role as well. “The Central Valley California (CVC) HIDTA Program is proud to again support the EPIC program,” said John J. Martin, Executive Director of CVC HIDTA. “The EPIC program is CVC HIDTA’s largest collaboration of local, state and federal law enforcement…this proactive approach not only protects California’s natural resources and communities but also assists our law enforcement partners in other states by disrupting supply chain of illegal cannabis.”
EPIC’s mission includes investigating civil or criminal cases relating to illicit cultivation with attention given to environmental impact as well as labor exploitation.
As described on its official website, The Office of Attorney General serves as California’s chief law enforcement authority within its executive branch structure—led currently by Rob Bonta—and exercises legal authority throughout all regions of California since its founding in 1850.It leads centralized efforts against crime while promoting transparency through initiatives like OpenJustice. Its policy focus spans civil rights protection,environmental justice, consumer security,and economic integrity.