A new report says organized crime and violence is on the rise due to illegal cannabis farms in California.
According to the L.A. Times, illegal marijuana grows have popped up in rural areas of the Golden State, like Mount Shasta Vista, the Mojave Desert, the North Coast, and the Sierra Nevada.
The report says the unlicensed operations have overwhelmed law enforcement and are jeopardizing legal cannabis businesses due to the high number of illicit greenhouses.
The Times says armed guards and worker exploitation are prevalent at many of the criminal farms.
Many residents in these rural areas say they are afraid to even go out on their own properties.