Senator Collins, Colleagues Urge DOJ to Further Investigate Illegal Chinese Marijuana Operations

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Susan Collins, Tom Cotton (R-AR), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), and Ted Budd (R-NC) wrote to U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate the increasing number of illicit drug enterprises operated by Chinese criminal organizations on American soil.

Their letter cites a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) report that described the wide-ranging network of illegal Chinese marijuana grow operations that have expanded across the United States.

Earlier this year, Senator Collins helped secure provisions to address Chinese-linked illicit drug operations in the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, which was signed into law in February. The law directed the Secretary of State to submit a report on Chinese-linked illegal drug operations in the United States. The bill also included $150 million to counter the flow into the United States of fentanyl and synthetic drugs, which are often produced using precursor chemicals originating in China.

"We write requesting that the Department of Justice (DOJ) investigate the growing role of Chinese transnational criminal organizations in America's cannabis and intoxicating-hemp markets," the Senators wrote. "Recent reporting and investigations suggest Chinese criminal networks are exploiting vulnerabilities in federal law to operate expansive illicit drug enterprises that threaten our communities and national security."

"The Drug Enforcement Administration's 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment found that Chinese transnational criminal organizations dominate marijuana cultivation and distribution in the United States, especially in states with legal cannabis markets," they continued. "These organizations purchase and lease American land for illegal grow operations, traffic foreign workers, and use toxic pesticides and fertilizers shipped from China, including chemicals banned in the United States. The scale and complexity of these networks make them difficult to track and raise concerns about what other illicit or synthetic products they may be introducing into the U.S. market."

"Congress has recognized the need to address vulnerabilities in this market, including closing gaps in the 2018 Farm Bill that allowed unregulated intoxicating hemp and THC products to proliferate. These reforms are set to take effect on December 11, 2026." […] "While this will address harmful products currently in the market, questions remain about who is financing and supporting these organizations operating within the industry. We therefore request that the DOJ fully investigate these criminal networks, including their financing, land usage, chemical imports, and any connections to the Chinese Communist Party," the Senators concluded.

The complete text of the letter can be read here.

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Senator Collins' work on this issue began in 2022, when she wrote to Maine's DEA Director Roy McKinney regarding a constituent's report that a neighboring house caught fire, apparently due to an illicit drug operation.

Since then, Senator Collins has repeatedly pressed senior federal officials in letters, meetings, and oversight hearings to address these illegal operations. This includes the Attorney General, DEA Administrator, FBI Director, and Secretary of State during the Biden Administration, and the DEA Administrator, FBI Director, former Secretary of Homeland Security, former Attorney General, and Secretary of the Treasury during the Trump Administration.

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