Collins Urges Action Against Illegal Marijuana Grow Houses in Maine
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins confronted two top officials from the Trump administration this week regarding the alarming rise of illegal marijuana grow houses in Maine, during hearings of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which she chairs.
A leaked federal memo that surfaced recently indicated that Maine could be home to approximately 270 large-scale illegal marijuana operations linked to organized crime syndicates in China. The operations reportedly generate around $4.37 billion, raising concerns that the profits may fund further criminal activities domestically or be funneled back to China.
In her exchanges with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Collins emphasized the urgent need for an “all-of-government effort” to dismantle these illegal sites and expressed her hope that President Trump’s forthcoming budget would allocate necessary resources to local law enforcement.
Collins underscored the alarming connections between these illegal operations and national security, stating, “We’re very concerned with securing our border… but also who’s already here.”
The Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office heightened scrutiny on these operations after seizing over 3,400 marijuana plants and 111 pounds of processed marijuana from one grow house in Carmel in late June 2023. Since then, authorities have discovered similar operations in several Maine communities, with reports indicating that up to 200 grow houses may still be active in the state.
FBI Director Kash Patel informed Collins that the agency has initiated new investigations and is reallocating resources to address the issue comprehensively. He assured her that intelligence efforts against the Chinese Communist Party linked to these grow houses are being prioritized.
Collins closed her remarks by stressing that these criminal operations threaten public health and safety, urging swift and coordinated actions to combat the growing crisis.
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