Immigration raids stoke fears of Trump admin targeting marijuana industry

A marijuana plant File photo Times of San Diego After massive federal raids last week at two Southern California cannabis farms the United Farm Workers posted an urgent message to its social media accounts Because weed remains illegal under federal law the union advised workers who are not U S citizens to avoid jobs in the cannabis industry even at state-licensed facilities We know this is unfair the United Farm Workers wrote Monday but we encourage you to protect yourself and your family The immigration raids at the Camarillo and Carpinteria facilities of Glass House Farms one of the state s largest licensed cannabis companies have unsettled California s legal industry which feels more vulnerable than it has since voters approved recreational weed in The chaotic scene has brought to the forefront simmering concerns that weed farms could become an easy target as President Donald Trump ramps up deportations because totally working in the industry could provide the criminal pretext to arrest even a legal immigrant It has also resurfaced for several industry veterans traumatic memories of raids during the war on drugs raising alarms that the Trump administration may be hardening its stance against what remains a federally illegal substance There is a sense that the neighborhood has gotten a little complacent in our legalization bubbles disclosed Caren Woodson senior director of compliance and licensing for Kiva Brands and the board president of the California Cannabis Industry Association We re definitely in a moment of uncertainty A line of federal immigration agents and protesters stand-off near the Glass House Farms facility outside Camarillo on July Protesters gathered after federal immigration agents conducted an immigration raid earlier in the day Photo by Larry Valenzuela CalMatters CatchLight Local The fears of California cannabis growers had largely faded in latest decades since voters legalized diagnostic marijuana in and its recreational use in The legal industry was nearly billion last year and employed an estimated people though its progress is precarious as it struggles to compete with a stubbornly robust illicit industry But any sense of ease was snapped by the immigration raids last week which were tied to alleged labor violations by Glass House Farms Federal leadership ultimately announced more than arrests of people they suspected of being in the country illegally and the recovery of immigrant minors Glass House Farms did not respond to emailed questions There is absolutely heightened threat working for a cannabis facility It shouldn t be that way Woodson commented Folks should be aware of that hazard and we should be prepared as an industry to manage that threat The Trump administration has not given an indication whether those operations were an isolated situation or a reflection of shifting enforcement priorities on cannabis The U S Drug Enforcement Administration did not respond to emailed questions Advocates had hoped that Trump might eventually lead the way on loosening federal restrictions on cannabis Yet since suggesting during his campaign last fall that he would downgrade the classification of weed so that its medicinal uses can be more easily studied Trump has made no moves toward rescheduling Other developments signal that momentum may be moving in the opposite direction During his confirmation hearing Trump s nominee to lead the DEA would not commit to removingcannabis from the list of serious narcotics and there is an ongoing effort in Congress to block its reclassification Mia Ortiz holds a photo of her father on her phone while talking to reporters on July Mia Ortiz revealed she hasn t heard from her father Rafael Ortiz since she heard about the immigration raid at Glasshouse Farms just a day prior on July Photo by Larry Valenzuela CalMatters CatchLight Local We can t take anything for granted Steph Sherer executive director of the advocacy group Americans For Safe Access warned industry members on a video call last week following the raids We ve gotten dependent on this broader layer of endorsement for healthcare cannabis that s being tested right now She suggested that growers learn how to read a search warrant have a criminal lawyer on retainer and plan how they would pay for bail Not everyone believes it s time to panic just yet Chosen local members of the cannabis industry have noted that Glass House s facilities are surrounded by other weed farms that were not raided by federal agents which could mean the operation was entirely unrelated to drugs The California Department of Cannabis Control subsequently endorsed that it was actively exploring a child labor complaint against the company The employment of individuals under the age of in the cannabis industry is strictly illegal a serious matter and is not tolerated spokesperson David Hafner explained in a declaration CalMatters is a nonpartisan and nonprofit news organization bringing Californians stories that probe explain and explore solutions to quality of life issues while holding our leaders accountable