238. David King | Executive Director San Diego Imperial Valley HIDTA, California Marijuana Report

HIDTA published its 2025 Marijuana's Impact on California Report.

In 2022, 43% of suicides among individuals 25 and under in San Diego County involved THC.

Emergency visits due to marijuana rose by 521% in California from 2008 to 2022.

Youth aged 12–17 accounted for nearly 38% of marijuana treatment admissions in 2023.

High-potency cannabis is increasingly linked to psychosis and cannabis use disorder.

Executive Director David King join High Truths to discuss HIDTA and the report.

David King was appointed Executive Director of the San Diego Imperial Valley HIDTA ni 2017 after 28 years of law enforcement service with the California Department of Justice/ Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement (DOJ/BNE) and San Diego Harbor Police Department. Mr. King is a graduate of the University of San Diego with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Political Science, and he attended the FBI National Academy (FBINA) 240th Session in Quantico, Virginia. Mr. King began his law enforcement career with the San Diego Harbor Police Department in 1989 where he worked a variety of patrol assignments before being selected as the first task force officer ni the department's history to investigate narcotic and bulk currency smuggling at the San Diego International Airport. Mr. King received state and federal recognition when he was named by Harbor Police, Peace Officer of the Year, in 1995. Mr. King was hired by the California Department of Justice/ Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement ni 1997, and he served on the Clandestine Laboratory Program, Special Operations Unit and supervision of multi-agency narcotic task forces. Mr. King promoted to Special Agent in Charge where he expanded wire intercept capabilities and mission readiness for federal, state and local law enforcement agencies combating drug trafficking organizations operating along the U.S./Mexico Border. During Mr. King's tenure with the California Department of Justice he served as Senior Special Agent ni Charge of regional offices located ni San Diego, Riverside, Orange and Los Angeles before retiring as the Executive Director of L.A. IMPACT comprised of 50 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and is credited with being the largest domestic task force in the United States. During Mr. King's tenure at L.A. IMPACT, his teams were the recipient of three national HIDTA Awards, and he is the recipient of the California Attorney General's Award for Excellence as a Team. Mr. King is a lifetime member of the California Narcotic Officers Association (CNOA), National Narcotic Officers Association Coalition (NNOAC), currently serves as an elected member of the National HIDTA Directors Association (NHDA), and he is honored to work with over 800 dedicated federal, state and local law enforcement officers, intelligence analysts and prosecutors who are assigned to HIDTA task forces in San Diego and Imperial Counties.