California
California cannabis mega-factory eyes federal legalization of weed

April 18 (Reuters) – The corporate behind a hashish mega-factory in California is hoping federal legalization of the substance will enable it to increase distribution of joints, oils and edibles past the borders of probably the most populous U.S. state.
California legalized leisure hashish in 2016, but it surely stays on the federal listing of managed substances.
The U.S. Home of Representatives handed a invoice on April 1 to finish the federal ban on marijuana, although the measure is seen as unlikely to cross the Senate.
Joshua Krane, vice chairman of operations for hashish operator 4Front, mentioned the corporate’s 170,000-square-foot (15,793 sq. meter) manufacturing and processing area exterior of Los Angeles has the capability to produce the U.S. west coast with hashish merchandise, if restrictions are lifted
“This facility was designed to actually be future-proof for us when it comes to with the ability to service not simply the complete California market, however as soon as we’ve the flexibility to move hashish and promote hashish throughout state strains, to have the ability to actually feed the West Coast of the nation,” he mentioned.
The manufacturing unit, which opened in November 2021, is working at 20-25% of capability, Krane mentioned.
“As we see the pure ramp-up of the trade, that may seemingly meet an extra demand curve as we get into federal legalization,” he added. “And so we might proceed to ramp up increasingly more manufacturing from this constructing because the state and hopefully this aspect of the nation would require.”
Krane mentioned the extremely automated facility is the biggest in California. It manufactures each in-house and accomplice manufacturers, together with oils, tinctures and several other forms of candies.
Edible objects are the preferred, and demand has soared for the reason that coronavirus pandemic started in 2020, Krane mentioned.
“It has been considerably troublesome to maintain up with the extra demand when it comes to manufacturing sufficient for these new prospects. There’s been an incredible pivot from alcohol and different vices to hashish.”
In March 2020 as lockdowns went into impact, gross sales of leisure hashish throughout key U.S. markets rose virtually 50% from a 12 months earlier, in line with hashish level of sale and information platform Flowhub.
With a machine that may roll 2,000 joints per hour and a kitchen able to producing 400,000 items of sweet in a single shift, the manufacturing unit in Commerce, California, is prepared for the demand to proceed.
Register now for FREE limitless entry to Reuters.com
Reporting by Phil Lavelle
Writing By Jane Ross and Richard Chang; enhancing by Bernard Orr
Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Belief Rules.

California
FBI agent posing as 12-year-old girl ensnares alleged pedophile in California

A 41-year-old Ventura man is facing the possibility of life in prison after he sent a federal agent posing as both a dad and a daughter sexually explicit photos, authorities announced earlier this week.
Trevor Lyons began speaking to the undercover agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in August 2024 on the Kik messaging app. At the time, the agent was posing as the father of a 12-year-old girl who used the name “UC Dad,” the L.A. Times reported.
According to the indictment, Lyons responded, “Oooof. A tad young but do you have pics?” when the undercover officer gave him the age of his fictitious daughter.
Federal officials also said Lyons told UC Dad that he wanted to talk to the young girl, saying, “I’d love to see how much of a freak she is.”
The 41-year-old then offered photos of his own 17-year-old daughter from when she was 15 years old and continued to have sexually explicit conversations with UC Dad that month on Telegram.
In September 2024, Lyons added what he thought was UC Dad’s 12-year-old girl as a friend on Discord, telling her that he was 40 and asking if she had ever seen a penis before, the indictment details. As the conversations continued to escalate, investigators say he asked UC Dad’s daughter if she had ever performed oral sex and offered to teach her how before sending an explicit photo and video with a request that she perform it on him.
Law enforcement seized various electronics from Lyons in December 2024, including an iPhone 16, an iPad and a Samsung Galaxy flip phone.
In the indictment, filed in August this year, investigators allege Lyons had a yearslong history of distributing child pornography along with accusations that in May 2020, he coerced a minor to engage in sexually explicit acts for photographs that would be distributed as child sexual abuse materials.
The 41-year-old, according to federal investigators, went by several usernames online, including Defi Samurai, Carly and Herbdoc.
He was arrested Oct. 20 after a federal grand jury charged him in a nine-count felony indictment with sexual exploitation, attempted sexual exploitation of a child for the purpose of producing sexually explicit visual depiction, attempted enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity and distribution of child pornography, according to the FBI.
“If convicted on all charges, Lyons faces a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison,” federal officials said.
California
Pedestrian killed by big rig in hit-and-run on I-5 in Yolo County, CHP says

A man died Tuesday night after being struck by a big rig while running along southbound Interstate 5 northwest of Woodland in California’s Yolo County, officials said.
The California Highway Patrol’s Woodland division said it happened around 8 p.m. near the Interstate 505 interchange, between Dunnigan and Zamora. Crews were already responding to a nearby medical call and were able to arrive quickly, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Witnesses told officers that an all-white big rig initially slowed down after the crash but then continued driving south on I-5 toward Sacramento. The CHP says the truck likely has damage to its front left corner.
The CHP Woodland is asking anyone who may have seen the crash or has information about the truck or its driver to contact their office.
Traffic in the area was not affected.
California
Motorcycle rider sent over guardrail in fatal Southern California crash

California Highway Patrol (CHP) investigators are trying to determine what led up to a fatal motorcycle crash in Corona over the weekend.
The collision occurred as the vehicles were traveling in opposite directions near a sharp turn on Cajalco Road just east of Eagle Canyon Road around 8:45 p.m. Sunday.
Arriving officers found the motorcycle down in the roadway near a car with front-end damage and a smashed windshield.
The unidentified motorcycle rider was sent over the railing as a result of the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics, news video service OnScene.TV reported.
The occupants of the car involved in the crash were treated at the scene by paramedics but were not transported to a hospital, the news service stated.
It was unclear if drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash.
-
World3 days ago
Israel continues deadly Gaza truce breaches as US seeks to strengthen deal
-
Technology3 days ago
AI girlfriend apps leak millions of private chats
-
News3 days ago
Trump news at a glance: president can send national guard to Portland, for now
-
Business3 days ago
Unionized baristas want Olympics to drop Starbucks as its ‘official coffee partner’
-
Politics3 days ago
Trump admin on pace to shatter deportation record by end of first year: ‘Just the beginning’
-
Science3 days ago
Peanut allergies in children drop following advice to feed the allergen to babies, study finds
-
News2 days ago
Video: Federal Agents Detain Man During New York City Raid
-
News2 days ago
Books about race and gender to be returned to school libraries on some military bases