The founder of a California food factory that makes everything from cookies to barbecue sauce — all laced with marijuana — turned himself in Thursday to face a federal drug charges.

Tainted Foods Inc., located in Oakland, was raided last week by U.S. drug enforcement officers. Owner Michael Martin was away at the time but three of his employees were arrested in the raid.

According to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), its agents had previously seized marijuana-laced candy bars called Buddafingas and Stoners that were wrapped in packages mimicking the popular brands Butterfingers and Snickers.

"Raids on people who help patients are increasing across California because the DEA realizes they are at the end of a losing battle," Steph Sherer, executive director of the medical cannabis advocacy organization Americans for Safe Access, said in a press release.

According to Safe Access, Tainted Foods Inc. made products exclusively for patients with legal certificates permitting marijuana use. Edible products containing marijuana are an alternative to smoking marijuana and are preferred by many patients, Safe Access said in the release.

Martin, 33, was freed on $300,000 US bond on the charge of conspiring to manufacture and distribute marijuana. He could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

California law has legalized marijuana use to treat medical conditions, but U.S. federal law bans the plant's use for all purposes. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that federal law trumps state law when it comes to medical marijuana.

Martin will not be allowed to argue to jurors that his company supplied medical marijuana products through licensed dispensaries to qualified patients. Defence lawyers are prevented from raising state law, local regulations or medical marijuana studies in U.S. federal marijuana trials.

With files from the Associated Press