Is the DCC Smoking? Because it seems as though they are Blurring the Lines on Enforcement Actions!!

Jenny Beth Dills

Original High At 9 News Story

06-09-2025

California’s cannabis market, the largest legal market in the world, is built on a delicate

framework of regulation and enforcement. Central to that framework is the Department of

Cannabis Control (DCC), the state agency charged with regulating licensed cannabis

businesses. The DCC ensures that operators comply with California’s strict rules, products meet

health and safety standards, and the legal market is fair and accessible.

Importantly, the DCC’s authority extends only to licensed operators. It exists to oversee, assist,

and regulate businesses that have chosen to participate in the legal system — not to enforce

criminal law against unlicensed activity. Yet recent events suggest those lines may be blurring.

Today, the DCC took to social media to announce its role in a major bust in Anaheim, California.

The post highlighted the closure of several unlicensed cannabis operations and proudly credited

both the DCC and the Anaheim Police Department for the enforcement action. Images showed

law enforcement officers in tactical gear raiding facilities, with mentions of illegal products and

assets seized.

While the illegal cannabis market poses real threats to public safety and the viability of the legal

industry, the nature of the DCC’s involvement raises serious concerns. The DCC is

fundamentally a regulatory agency — it was never designed to function as a law enforcement

body. Its powers lie in issuing licenses, conducting inspections, suspending noncompliant

licenses, and setting administrative penalties. Its authority does not extend to criminal

enforcement, arrests, or search and seizure operations — core functions of police departments,

not regulators.

Collaborations between the DCC and local police can be valuable when they respect the

boundaries of each entity’s mission. However, when the DCC claims direct involvement in raids

and criminal enforcement, it risks undermining its role as an impartial regulator and ally to the

licensed market. Businesses that have worked hard to comply with California’s stringent

cannabis laws could begin to view the DCC not as a partner but as a quasi-police force — a

perception that could have chilling effects on cooperation and trust within the regulated

community.

The legal cannabis market already faces towering challenges. High tax rates, heavy compliance

burdens, and competition from the illicit market continue to squeeze licensed businesses. Many

argue that aggressive enforcement alone won’t fix the problem. Instead, they call for lower

taxes, streamlined regulations, and more incentives to operate legally — strategies that

strengthen the legal market rather than waging war on the illegal one.

If the DCC blurs the line between regulator and enforcer, it risks losing sight of its primary

mission: to build, support, and sustain a lawful cannabis industry. Enforcement against illegal

actors should remain firmly in the hands of police and prosecutors, preserving the DCC’s

credibility and focus.

Keeping these roles separate isn’t just a matter of bureaucratic nicety — it’s fundamental to

maintaining a healthy, trustworthy, and thriving legal cannabis market in California.