The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office
Cannabis Compliance Team seized and eradicated some 2,800 illegally grown
cannabis plants in addition to hundreds of pounds of illegally processed
cannabis, Public Information Officer Lt. Erik Raney reported Wednesday.
The unlicensed plants — worth hundreds of
thousands of dollars — were seized from the Morning Hill and Dominion Road area
in Santa Maria. The cannabis was taken out at the peak of a month-long
investigation with the assistance of the Department of Fish and Wildlife. It
involved several search warrants served at multiple Santa Maria homes over a
two-day period.
In addition to the cannabis operations, a butane
honey oil lab was also discovered and the honey oil subsequently confiscated,
Raney said.
Criminal complaints will be forwarded to the
Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office, although no physical arrests
have been made.