Law enforcement raids on California dispensaries are not completely a thing of the past, especially for those that continue to sell cannabis without obtaining state or local permits.
In recent days, at least three unlicensed dispensaries have been raided by local police in the Los Angeles suburb of Santa Ana and the town of Vista, which is halfway between L.A. and San Diego.
In Santa Ana, city police raided two unlicensed dispensaries, the Orange County Register reported. And in Vista, the San Diego County sheriff’s office conducted the raids, according to the City News Service.
In the Santa Ana raids, the police focused on building code violations and apparently made no arrests. In the Vista case, four employees were arrested and booked.
There are also raids ongoing in other areas, specifically on illegal grows.
In Cal City on Jan. 18, local police raided an illegal cannabis cultivation operation, 23 ABC News reported.
That was the town’s 18th raid in six weeks, culminating in nine arrests and the seizure of three tons of cannabis.
The raids are another indication that while California’s regulated market is still being rolled out, there are certain to be plenty of operators that will push the boundaries.
Illegal dispensaries, in particular, have been an ongoing problem for state and local authorities in California for years.