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Pot Found Buried in Jalapeño Pepper Shipment, Border Officials Say

Even though voters in California legalized recreational marijuana in 2016, the sale of illegal marijuana is still rampant throughout the state

The head of U.S. Customs and Border Protection is congratulating federal officials along the U.S.-Mexico border in Otay Mesa, California, for seizing a large amount of marijuana smuggled in a shipment of jalapeño peppers.

The officers found 7,560 pounds of marijuana in a shipment of jalapeño peppers, according to Acting Commissioner Mark Morgan.

"Very proud of our CBP officers in Otay Mesa," said Morgan as he shared a photo of the seizure on Twitter.

Even though voters in California legalized recreational marijuana in 2016, the sale of illegal marijuana is still rampant throughout the state.

Last month, NBC 7 shared a recent report suggesting an underground economy is cutting into the profits of legal businesses.

New Frontier Data, a Denver-based company that studies cannabis trends, estimates there are $70 billion in illegal sales nationally — seven times the size of the legal market.

Read more on that story here.

[DONT CHANGE MAIN HEADLINE] San Diego's Border Busts

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