Maine’s congressional delegation is urging the Department of Justice to investigate and halt suspected illegally operated Chinese marijuana growing operations across the state. Steve Mistler has more.
A leaked memo reportedly distributed among authorities at the U.S. Border Patrol estimates there are 270 grow sites operated by Chinese nationals.
The memo, obtained by the conservative news site Daily Caller, says profits are likely distributed to other criminal activities or directly to China.
In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, Maine members of Congress asked the DOJ to clarify what it knows about these suspected activities and what it’s doing to shut them down.
While medical and recreational cannabis is legal in Maine, all growing and selling of the product must be licensed by the state’s oversight agency.
The delegation is also seeking information about the leaked memo, including who authored it and what the DOJ is doing in response.