It's his second strategy in six months.
US Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, and US Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden proceed to induce the US Division of Justice to crack down on unlawful marijuana operations in Maine. In a letter to Lawyer Normal Merrick Garland, the Delegation highlights the rising variety of unlawful develop operations which are detrimental to Maine companies that adjust to state legal guidelines.
“We’re writing to comply with up on our letter dated August 23, 2023 concerning studies of a memo that was produced and circulated by Border Patrol officers concerning alleged unlawful Chinese language marijuana cultivation operations within the state of Maine,” the letter stated. “Since then, there have been a number of raids throughout the state; for the reason that starting of this yr, police have arrested eight folks and seized greater than 4,400 hashish vegetation at 4 rising websites in Belgrade, China, and Cornville, Maine “.
The Delegation stated: “We applaud Maine regulation enforcement for his or her continued efforts to analyze and shut down these unlawful operations, and we encourage the Division of Justice and different federal companions to offer extra help for these efforts. These operations unlawful development is detrimental to Maine companies that adjust to state legal guidelines, and we urge the DOJ to close them down.
Final August, the Delegation despatched a preliminary letter to the DOJ asking the company to crack down on unlawful develop operations run by international governments or entities. On the time, media studies indicated that there have been 270 suspected unlawful Chinese language marijuana develop operations in Maine with an estimated worth of $4.37 billion, the Delegation stated.
The Hashish Legalization Act, authorised by Maine voters in 2016, established a regulatory framework governing grownup hashish use in Maine. The laws specifies rules for monitoring hashish vegetation and merchandise, enforcement and compliance, well being and security knowledge, labeling and packaging, and licensing and costs.
The total textual content of the letter follows:
Expensive Lawyer Normal Garland:
We’re writing to comply with up on our letter dated August 23, 2023 concerning studies of a memo that was produced and circulated by Border Patrol officers concerning alleged unlawful Chinese language marijuana cultivation operations within the state of Maine. . Since that point, there have been many raids all through the state; For the reason that starting of this yr, police have arrested eight folks and seized greater than 4,400 hashish vegetation at 4 rising websites in Belgrade, China, and Cornville, Maine.
In keeping with the Border Patrol memo, regulation enforcement within the state recognized 270 properties suspected of getting used as unlawful Chinese language develop operations, producing an estimated $4.37 billion in income. We applaud Maine regulation enforcement for his or her continued efforts to analyze and shut down these unlawful operations, and we encourage the Division of Justice (DOJ) and different federal companions to offer extra help for these efforts. These unlawful develop operations are dangerous to Maine companies that adjust to state legal guidelines, and we urge the DOJ to close them down.
Maine cities and legally operated dispensaries have seen and felt the impacts of those unlawful operations. Whereas these unlawful operations could also be secret, they’re typically not tough to identify for neighbors in these tightknit communities; The arrests and seizures in Belgrade occurred when state troops executed search warrants following “group complaints.” As well as, courtroom paperwork from a case in Carmel, Maine, present that the home rented by a defendant was billed $6,900 a month for energy, indicating a large-scale operation. These unlawful operations can have an effect on legally operated dispensaries that diligently adjust to Maine state legal guidelines – one dispensary proprietor estimates that these unlawful growers are promoting marijuana for half the value of shopping for the product from growers “by the guide” . This price differential is unfair.
Whereas we’re happy that Maine regulation enforcement is making progress in figuring out and shutting down unlawful operations, the size of those operations reported within the state is alarming and requires rapid motion. We once more repeat our earlier request for added data on what the DOJ is doing to handle this case. We requested for solutions to the next questions:
1. What’s the DOJ doing to handle unlawful develop operations, together with unlawful develop operations which are run by international governments or entities?
2. These studies determine Chinese language possession. Is the DOJ conscious of this alleged Chinese language possession or every other international involvement in these operations?
3. Are the earnings from these unlawful operations returned to the nation of origin? If that’s the case, by what mechanisms?
4. Please present any extra details about the memo recognized in these studies, together with who produced it, when the knowledge contained within the memo was first obtained, and what actions had been taken in response?
5. What motion is the DOJ taking to rapidly shut down any unlawful marijuana develop operations within the state of Maine?
6. What help does DOJ present to Maine regulation enforcement businesses (state, county and municipal) as they work to determine and arrest these concerned in criminal activity associated to the unlawful develop operation marijuana?
7. What, if any, extra help does DOJ want from Congress to help Maine regulation enforcement in these efforts?
https://www.penbaypilot.com/article/maine-s-congressional-delegation-urges-doj-crack-down-chinese-owned-cannabis-operatio/182739
