On July 10, 2025, federal immigration agents backed by National Guard troops executed warrants at two Glass House Farms cannabis cultivation sites in Carpinteria and Camarillo, California. Roughly 100 agricultural workers were reportedly detained, according to Newsweek, before protests erupted and tear gas was deployed.
Glass House, one of California’s largest licensed cannabis producers, acknowledged the enforcement action on its official X account (formerly Twitter), stating:
“Yesterday, Glass House Brands received immigration and naturalization warrants. As per the law, we verified that the warrants were valid and we complied. Workers were detained and we are assisting to provide them legal representation. Glass House has never knowingly violated applicable hiring practices and does not and has never employed minors. We do not expect this to affect operations moving forward.”
Graham Farrar, Glass House co-founder, added on X:
“Know there are lots of questions, we have a lot of them too, as we get more information we will update. Our team has been continually on site and we are focused on taking care of our people and our plants.”
At the time of publication, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had not issued a formal statement detailing the scope of the raid, the number of individuals detained, or the nature of the warrants served.
Editor’s Note (Updated July 11): Since publication, multiple credible sources (Reuters, LA Times) report that agents found 10 migrant minors—8 unaccompanied—on site during the raids. Federal authorities are now investigating possible child labor violations. There is no reporting to date that confirms any of the minors were employed at Glass House Farms; they were present during the operation.
In a public response, Glass House stated it “has never knowingly violated applicable hiring practices and does not and has never employed minors.” High Times reached out to Glass House with specific questions for this article but did not receive a response by publication.
A Legacy Industry, A Federal Fault Line
The raid reignited long-standing tensions around cannabis legality, labor, and immigration enforcement in the U.S. While cannabis is legal in California, it remains federally prohibited, creating a legal paradox that leaves licensed businesses vulnerable to federal action.
Dr. Chanda Macias, a longtime advocate, reacted to the news in an exclusive comment to High Times:
“ICE raids targeting Latino communities cultivating alternative medicine are not just attacks on individuals, it is an attack on our community and healthcare. Our lives are not expendable, our connection to the U.S. is undeniable, our commitment to natural medicine impacts patients’ lives consistently.”
She recalled the harsh enforcement climate of past decades, “a time when raids on cannabis operations were constant.” Yet, she added, “our community is strong. We fought for medical and adult use, and we will fight for our Latino community.”
And closed with a message of resilience: “We will rise from this and believe redemption is coming.”
That view was echoed—and expanded—by Chris Day, CEO of the Global Cannabis Network Collective, who offered a more geopolitical take on the enforcement action:
“For once, cannabis is being treated the same as other industries, with complete disregard for existing laws or human rights. The current administration operates more like a police state. These militaristic tactics are meant to convey power and suppress dissent, while manipulating PR to appear as cleaning up a state the President sees as a threat. With ICE’s growing budgets, I don’t see this getting better anytime soon.”
From an advisory perspective, Day urged cannabis executives to rethink a U.S.-focused strategy:
“GCNC advises members to look globally for sustainable expansion. For U.S.-based operators, I urge caution: unless you have legal protection and deep capital, the risk is significant. The government’s unpredictability—from fiscal policy to law enforcement—makes the domestic market deeply unstable.”
A Blow to Labor Stability?
The industry response has not just focused on politics. It has also centered on workers.
Adrian Rocha, director of policy at the Last Prisoner Project, told High Times the raid represents a setback to cannabis labor normalization:
“Immigration raids like this one frequently ensnare individuals who are already disproportionately impacted by outdated and discriminatory drug policies. These actions not only perpetuate the systemic harms of cannabis criminalization, but also directly undermine the Last Prisoner Project’s mission to secure freedom, reunite families, and create opportunities for those most affected by the War on Drugs.”
Rocha also warned that such tactics could threaten reform momentum:
“Aggressive enforcement tactics, including immigration raids, can create a chilling effect on both workforce participation and broader efforts toward cannabis industry reform.”
Mary Bailey, Last Prisoner Project managing director, pointed to the case of Sandra Bowen, one of LPP’s constituents, who served nearly a decade in federal prison for a nonviolent cannabis offense. Upon her release, instead of reuniting with her children, she was handed over to ICE and deported to Jamaica. Others like Ricardo Ashmeade and Andrew Landells, he noted, still await deportation despite living in the U.S. for decades.
Industry Voices, Investor Risks
Seth Yakatan, a veteran investor and advisor in the cannabis space, viewed the situation through a business lens:
“It shows that the federal government has a labor agenda, and now our industry is in the crossfire.”
Yet, he doesn’t think immigration enforcement risk and cannabis federal illegality are correlated.
From a capital strategy lens, he emphasized:
“It depends on the company and its scope. Given the complexity of U.S. law, it is hard for smaller companies to even think outside of one state.”
Yet for Yakatan, the raid also served as a personal catalyst:
“That my resolve to fight for this industry was galvanized by all the support we have received.”
Protests, Tear Gas, and a Blocked Congressman
According to Newsweek, video footage appeared to show a protester firing a weapon at federal agents amid the Carpinteria raid. U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael W. Banks condemned the act and pledged “serious consequences.”
Tensions escalated as demonstrators clashed with officers, prompting the use of tear gas and crowd-control munitions. U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal was reportedly denied entry to the Carpinteria site during the raid.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass responded by signing Executive Directive No. 12, ordering city departments to prepare for further federal actions and safeguard immigrant communities. A federal judge also issued a restraining order against the LAPD after allegations of excessive force against journalists covering immigration protests.
Luna Stower, a longtime cannabis advocate and industry executive, focused on the human toll of the raids, calling them “a chilling reminder that legalization offers no protection when federal power decides to flex.”
She described the enforcement as unlawful and said members of Congress were blocked from entering the site. “Kids were crying for their parents who got ripped away,” she told High Times.
For Stower, the message behind the raid was clear: this wasn’t about compliance or child labor; it was about power. “Licensed operators and immigrant workers alike were treated as enemies, their greenhouses turned into battlegrounds,” she said. “It’s about control. About sending a message to the people who built California agriculture and the cannabis movement: your labor and lives are still disposable in the eyes of the Feds.”
She argued that the broader industry must reckon with its role in protecting its most vulnerable workers. “Cannabis cannot call itself a progressive industry while farmworkers are terrorized and communities are destabilized,” she said, calling for solidarity, urgent policy reform, and a deeper examination of the systemic issues that legalization alone won’t fix.
Policy, Labor, and National Supply Chains
Noemí Perez, a serial cannabis entrepreneur and advocate for immigrant rights, said the current wave of deportations is creating ripple effects across agriculture, including cannabis. While she acknowledged that immigration policy may be necessary, she emphasized that poor implementation is putting entire industries at risk.
“I am deeply concerned about how the deportation situation has been handled,” she said in an exclusive comment to High Times. “While the policy itself may be necessary, its implementation has disrupted many agricultural industries, including cannabis, where access to safe, regulated medicine for over 3 million Americans is being jeopardized.”
She cited Florida as a case study. Since the passage of SB 1718, the state has faced labor shortages across sectors, most notably in orange farming. “This not only threatens our food supply but also exacerbates challenges in an already struggling industry,” she said, noting that Florida has even resorted to importing oranges from Chile, despite having the climate and infrastructure to produce them domestically.
“This highlights the urgent need for more careful and balanced policymaking that takes into account the broader impact on people, agriculture and the economy,” Perez said.
She also addressed the responsibility of cannabis employers during uncertain times. “As employers, we have a duty to respond to the fears our teams are navigating every day,” she said. Her companies have been educating workers on what documentation is needed to safely transit public spaces and encouraging open dialogue.
“Beyond that, we’re providing resources on how to reconnect with loved ones in case of an emergency,” she added. “This moment calls for more than just compliance: it demands compassion, solidarity and action.”
The broader context of the raid is clear: the U.S. legal cannabis industry supports over 440,000 full-time jobs, with California employing an estimated 80,000 workers across cultivation, manufacturing and retail. Nationally, up to 70% of farmworkers are undocumented, highlighting how central immigration policy remains to labor stability in cannabis and beyond.
What Comes Next?
At press time, there is no indication that Glass House Farms faces criminal charges. The company says operations will continue, and legal aid is being provided to affected workers.
Still, this incident has sent a chill through the cannabis world: not because it was unexpected, but because it wasn’t.
This story reflects reporting available as of July 11 and will be updated as new facts or responses become available.
