A CBS News investigation reports that law enforcement officials have recently uncovered hundreds of suspected unlicensed marijuana grow houses operating in the state of Maine. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) confirms that this may be part of a much larger nationwide trend of illegal marijuana farmhouses cropping up in other states like Oklahoma, California, and Colorado.
According to DEA officials, illicit markets often operate in rural towns close to major distribution markets to allow for quick transport. But the biggest shock may be who is believed to be behind some of the largest illegal marijuana growing operations.
Chinese organized criminal networks have reportedly been linked to illegal marijuana crops being grown on U.S. farmland. DEA and law enforcement sources say that some of the same criminal groups behind illicit marijuana may also be part of the deadlier fentanyl supply chain.
One of the telltale signs that led to uncovering the illegal cannabis in Maine pointed to locations using huge amounts of electric power and specialty electrical equipment. DEA and law enforcement work with local power companies to isolate locations using 4-5x the amount of electricity that a normal residence might use. Other signs included shuttered windows and complaints from neighbors about pungent smells and suspicious vehicles coming and going.
DEA officials told CBS News that some of the people found working in marijuana grow operations are Chinese nationals who appear to be victims of labor trafficking. They are often kept unwillingly and taught how to oversee marijuana plant cultivation. Concern is that less prosecution in states where marijuana is legal may encourage organized crime groups trafficking drugs to set up shop in sparsely populated areas.
According to former chief of operations for the DEA, Raymond Donovan, "If you have a place like Maine, where marijuana is legal, there is less scrutiny on marijuana. It is a recipe for disaster in the sense that they're going to continue to go to these places and cultivate."
To help local law enforcement rid our communities of illegal drug operations, it is important for citizens to stay vigilant and if you see something that doesn't look right in your neighborhood, report it to the police. And stay informed.
Link to CBS News Report
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