Agents from the regional North State Marijuana Investigation Team weighed about 900 pounds of freshly cut marijuana plants that were hanging to dry in another slightly larger greenhouse. "If they were using it for illegal marijuana, they weren't getting fined, they weren't getting letters to stop using. State Rejects Sheriff's ClaimsWhile state agencies claim every effort is being made to stamp out the black market, LaRue disagrees. He says the volume of illegal marijuana eradicated is a drop in the bucket compared to the amount that's grown and sold on the black market. "If an illegal cannabis operation is stealing water, diverting water without authorization, damaging waterways, or violating water-use restrictions, that conduct is illegal.