The killings of six men last week at a remote desert crossroads that authorities believe stemmed from a soured illegal cannabis deal spotlighted a longstanding problem in California: a thriving underground marijuana market despite years of legal sales that were expected to stamp it out, the Associated Press reports. The killings provided a tragic reminder of the violence that can come with illicit cannabis activity, including unlicensed growing operations, brash robberies from legal businesses and furtive illegal shipments to out-of-state vendors. “The violence is getting worse. The stakes are getting higher,” said dispensary owner Jerred Kiloh, who heads the United Cannabis Business Association, a Los Angeles-based trade group.
He said many of the organization’s members have seen their dispensaries robbed one or more times, sometimes by the same thieves. “We keep talking about what we know the problem is,” Kiloh said, “but we are not doing anything about it.” Authorities found the bodies Jan. 23 in the Mojave Desert outside the sparsely populated community of El Mirage. Five suspects were arrested, and each face multiple charges, including six felony counts of murder. Two pleaded not guilty, and the remaining three were scheduled to be arraigned. They were held without bail. The area the bodies were found in, about 50 miles northeast of Los Angeles, is known for illicit cannabis operations.