Top stories of 2024: California’s legal cannabis, Hollywood crisis

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Stories that defined the year

2024 isn’t over yet. Let’s take a look back at 2024 as we approach the end of time, either by tradition or just to enjoy the simple joy of remembering what made this year unique.

It’s impossible to count all the news from the past 12 months, so we’ve rounded up the Times’ most-read articles published in 2024 to give you a quick look back at the year.

We use three different metrics to tell you which articles LA Times readers are most interested in: most read articles, most spent time reading, and most popular articles available only to subscribers. Highlighted articles with .

Research that captivated readers

This year, a detailed report on research by Matthew Ormseth, Paige St. John, and Alex Halperin caught our readers’ attention.

Paige and Alex’s investigation into legal cannabis in California reveals alarming levels of pesticides in cannabis products on dispensary shelves across the state. California regulators have done little to address evidence of widespread contamination in the state’s weed crops, after reviewing confidential lab reports, requesting public records and interviewing multiple sources. It turned out that it wasn’t.

The revelations in the Page and Alex investigation shook consumer confidence, and California officials began testing cannabis products for pesticides. Three major pharmacy chains have announced their own efforts to test products in the absence of similar safety checks by regulators.

Page recently followed up on the research by testing more California weed brands and finding that half of them contained “hidden” pesticides.

Meanwhile, Matt’s three-part series about Ralph Rocha, a former Mexican Mafia member facing a life sentence for extortion, left readers feeling betrayed and greedy. (Read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of this fascinating series.)

While Matt was wearing a wire for two years to assist law enforcement officers, Rocha made secret tapes that were completely different from what investigators and prosecutors presented in the 2013 indictment. I will explain in detail how I was first exposed. The Mexican Mafia and La Familia are linked in a sinister cross-border alliance.

Breaking news continued to engage readers in 2024

Several breaking news stories were also included in this year’s top stories. One such piece involved Shohei Ohtani, who quickly became a superstar in LA after signing a record 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers at the end of 2023.

In March 2024, Ohtani’s lawyer accused Ohtani’s interpreter of “massive theft” of the player’s funds to place bets with allegedly illegal bookmakers who are the subject of a federal investigation.

A few months later, Otani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, pleaded guilty to charges of bank fraud and signing a false tax return. Authorities allege he hatched a plan to steal more than $17 million from Ohtani to pay off an Orange County bookmaker.

Ippei Mizuhara (left) interprets during an interview with Shohei Ohtani held at Dodger Stadium on February 3rd.

(Richard Vogel/Associated Press)

Another breaking news story that caught our readers’ attention was about a topic familiar to our readers: mail and package theft.

A Santa Barbara County woman was fed up with her mail being stolen, so she sent herself a package containing an Apple AirTag. Apple AirTag is a tracking device that helps owners locate personal items through Bluetooth signals. Authorities arrested two suspects after finding the woman’s mail. The items included packages with air tags and items that may have been stolen from other victims.

Below you’ll find the top 10 for each list we compiled. We hope you’ll use them to explore the best journalism from the past year in The Times. Before you know it, we’ll be talking about 2025.

Top articles (ranking by total number of accesses)

Hackers may have stolen every American’s Social Security number. Here’s how to protect yourself In one of the biggest cash heists in LA history, robbers steal as much as $30 million from safes After repeated thefts, she uses her Apple AirTag as bait I mailed it to. It worked: Disney-obsessed couple loses lawsuit to return to exclusive club 33 The dirty secrets of California’s legal weed ‘Sister Wives’ star Janelle Brown says her son Garrison’s emails were used for a pre-mortem checkup Children are swallowing bags of baby food in record time. Experts: “We’re going to pay the price” 12-foot-long omen of doom washes ashore in San Diego Mexican Mafia tapes: Secret recordings reveal greed, betrayal, and dealings with the federal government Shohei Otani Lawyer accuses interpreter of ‘grand theft’ related to gambling allegations

Deep Read (ranked by average time spent on page)

Inside LA’s biggest family feud: Brothers at war. mother’s choice. Billions at risk 3 girls dead and 1 on death row. Did the lie lead him there? Child killers may also be released. Does anyone care that LA’s second child died? Ariana Madix took center stage with her best looks at the 2024 Golden Globe Awards Scandoval. Can she be there? Why did the ‘King of Collectors’ question their $1 million LeBron James card? Weezer’s Blue Album at 30: The story behind the debut that launched L.A.’s nerdiest band Under pressure from police, a mother falsely confesses to murder. Now her sons can prove she’s innocent Q&A: What will MLB owners ask Trevor Bauer? Below is a transcript of what he said in the Q&A: “While playing football… I want to have fun.” UCLA’s Deshaun Foster details his plans.

Subscriber Favorites (Subscriber-only stories ranked by number of views)

The Dirty Secrets of California’s Legal Weed Mexican Mafia Tapes: Secret Recordings Reveal Greed, Betrayal, and Dealings with Federal Authorities A bear crashes during a picnic and pats a woman on the leg. Wildlife police say mother who pushed her children out of moving car is an astrological influencer disrupted by solar eclipse Violence at protest outside Los Angeles synagogue widens This spurred criticism. Bass vows swift action for Hollywood staff in ‘crisis’: ‘Everyone is just panicking’ due to job losses Palm Springs has a cap on short-term rentals. Some home prices are currently on the decline. These are California cities where you can still buy a home for $150,000. Could you live here? Behind Hollywood’s shocking job losses: ‘The audience has gone’ These are Los Angeles’ 101 best tacos

What was your favorite read this year? Email [email protected]. It could be picked up in early 2025.

Today’s top news

A new analysis of Los Angeles neighborhoods reveals where Prop. 36 and Nathan Hochman made headway in the 2024 election and how public opinion has changed compared to a decade ago.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

public security, crime, police

culture and entertainment

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This morning’s must-read

Jimmy Carter, the 39th president who became an influential human rights advocate, died Sunday at the age of 100.

“When his tumultuous presidency ended with a painful re-election loss in 1980… “He emerged as a fearless and sometimes controversial critic of an abusive government,” Times editor-in-chief Scott Craft wrote in Carter’s obituary.

Learn more about Jimmy Carter’s life

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for your downtime

Pasadena City Hall Exterior, September 2024

(Ringo Chiu/For the Times)

going out

During your stay

Question for you: What advice has changed your life?

As the new year approaches, do you have any tips or advance information for those looking to make a fresh start in 2025?

Email us at [email protected]. Your response may be published in this week’s newsletter.

And finally…your photo of the day

Tell us about your favorite place in California! Send us a photo you took at a special spot in California (natural or man-made) and tell us why it’s important to you.

(Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)

Today’s amazing photo comes from Times staff photographer Brian van der Brug. Susie Fanter glues dried flowers to a tiger as part of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s entry into the Rose Parade at Pasadena’s Rosemont Pavilion.

Funders and fellow volunteers are hard at work preparing 39 flower-covered floats for the 2025 Rose Parade on New Year’s Day in Pasadena.

Have a great day! From the Essential California team

Defne Karabattur, comrades
Reporter Ryan Fonseca
Amy Hubbard, Fast Break Deputy Editor

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