America has a marijuana problem, and it isn’t just its high potency, easy availability, or widespread use among young and old alike. One of the biggest problems in the marijuana industry is the presence of illegal marijuana operations run by Chinese criminal networks. From California to Maine, Chinese nationals — many with ties to the Chinese Communist Party — are endangering rural areas, poisoning Americans, and engaging in human trafficking. In a recent demand for a federal investigation into these criminal organizations, four Republican senators highlighted the serious threat that these operations pose to the safety and security of our communities.

The presence of illegal Chinese marijuana growers poses significant risks to public health and safety. These criminal enterprises operate with little regard for regulations or quality control, putting consumers at risk of ingesting dangerous substances. They buy and destroy homes by turning them into “grow houses” and either steal electricity or rig the buildings with shoddy electrical wiring that has caused numerous fires. They import toxic, often illegal, pesticides for use on the plants. Slave laborers are illegally brought to the United States to work in overcrowded and unsanitary facilities, and Chinese women are trafficked for prostitution as part of transnational criminal organizations.