The Central Coast pot operation that was raided by a massive force of federal immigration agents last week is the subject of a state investigation into illegal child labor, state officials said Monday.
Officials with the state Department of Cannabis Control said they have launched “an active investigation” after receiving a complaint that Glass House, one of the state’s largest legal cannabis companies, had employed minors. The company has facilities in Camarillo and Carpinteria; it’s unclear where the complaint was directed.
In a statement, state officials said they had conducted a site visit at Glass House in May and found no violations. But later that month, the department received a complaint and opened the probe.
“The employment of individuals under the age of 21 in the cannabis industry is strictly illegal, a serious matter, and is not tolerated,” the statement said. “We encourage anyone with information about child labor or trafficking at any facility to immediately contact the Department.”
Glass House did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday. But in a statement posted to X last week, the company said it “does not and has never employed minors.”
Federal officials raided the company’s operations in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing campaign against undocumented immigrants in California. Officials said they arrested 361 people at the two sites, including “at least 14 migrant children.”
In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said it had “rescued” the children “from potential exploitation, forced labor and human trafficking.” Department officials said 10 of the children, who were unaccompanied minors, had been transferred to the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
