"The black market is very pervasive and it's definitely larger than the legal market."

Bill Jones, head of enforcement for the California Department of Cannabis Control. Despite voter approval of legalized recreational marijuana back in 2016, sales still occur mostly through the black market. Only about 40 percent of local jurisdictions in the state permit cannabis stores. State officials are trying to crack down on the growing illegal industry, but the penalty for getting caught selling unlicensed marijuana is relatively light, usually a $500 fine, which results in officers having to raid the same storefronts multiple times. (NPR — April 5, 2024)