Nine people, including a minor, were arrested after a break-in at a cannabis grow house on Encinal Road outside Chualar in South Monterey County, marking the second burglary of a cannabis company in the area within a month. Two California Highway Patrol officers were sent to the hospital for evaluation after a suspect rammed a CHP unit during the incident.”We don’t have details on how much marijuana was taken,” said Andres Rosas, spokesperson for the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office. “We can tell you that there were numerous large-sized storage containers that were recovered as a part of this.”Industry experts suggest that the suspects in both burglaries likely had inside help. “It seems they have some knowledge of the location and where the product is found and how they get in and how they get to it,” said Bob Roach, a Cannabis Industry Expert. “But then they’re all getting caught. So it seems to me that these are just low-level street criminals trying to make a few bucks.”The expert also noted that both cannabis companies have been targeted twice in the last two months, as the industry struggles with regulation, taxation, and competition from the illicit market. “They’re getting hit with a double whammy of regulation and taxation,” Roach said. “The market is really around the cost of production. So there’s not a lot of profit in the industry. And then the illicit market is stronger than it’s ever been, competing with them. So, you know, they’re really, really struggling right now.”The burglary occurred just hours before the Monterey County Cannabis Committee met to discuss industry issues and promised to prioritize cracking down on unlicensed cannabis activity. This year, $124,000 in black market cannabis was confiscated, compared to $68 million three years ago.”The sheriff is doing what they used to do, and it’s not being productive,”Roach said. “The thought is that the illicit market has shifted. It’s going indoors, has gotten more sophisticated, and that the sheriff has to adopt and up their game to deal with the new illicit market in Monterey County.”The suspects involved in the latest break-in are believed to be from Northern California, similar to the previous incident.See more coverage of top Central Coast stories | Download our app / Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
Nine people, including a minor, were arrested after a break-in at a cannabis grow house on Encinal Road outside Chualar in South Monterey County, marking the second burglary of a cannabis company in the area within a month.
Two California Highway Patrol officers were sent to the hospital for evaluation after a suspect rammed a CHP unit during the incident.
“We don’t have details on how much marijuana was taken,” said Andres Rosas, spokesperson for the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office. “We can tell you that there were numerous large-sized storage containers that were recovered as a part of this.”
Industry experts suggest that the suspects in both burglaries likely had inside help. “
It seems they have some knowledge of the location and where the product is found and how they get in and how they get to it,” said Bob Roach, a Cannabis Industry Expert. “But then they’re all getting caught. So it seems to me that these are just low-level street criminals trying to make a few bucks.”
The expert also noted that both cannabis companies have been targeted twice in the last two months, as the industry struggles with regulation, taxation, and competition from the illicit market.
“They’re getting hit with a double whammy of regulation and taxation,” Roach said. “The market is really around the cost of production. So there’s not a lot of profit in the industry. And then the illicit market is stronger than it’s ever been, competing with them. So, you know, they’re really, really struggling right now.”
The burglary occurred just hours before the Monterey County Cannabis Committee met to discuss industry issues and promised to prioritize cracking down on unlicensed cannabis activity.
This year, $124,000 in black market cannabis was confiscated, compared to $68 million three years ago.
“The sheriff is doing what they used to do, and it’s not being productive,”Roach said. “The thought is that the illicit market has shifted. It’s going indoors, has gotten more sophisticated, and that the sheriff has to adopt and up their game to deal with the new illicit market in Monterey County.”
The suspects involved in the latest break-in are believed to be from Northern California, similar to the previous incident.
See more coverage of top Central Coast stories | Download our app / Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
