Politics
Congressional Committee Schedules Hearing On Chinese ‘Invasion’ Through ‘Illegal Marijuana’ Operations
A GOP-controlled congressional committee has scheduled a hearing to discuss what’s described as a Chinese “invasion” of the U.S. through illicit marijuana operations.
The House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, & Accountability set the hearing—titled “Invasion of the Homeland: How China is Using Illegal Marijuana to Build a Criminal Network Across America”—for Thursday, September 18.
Beyond the title, details about the full scope and intent of the meeting, as well as witnesses who will testify, are currently unknown. But illicit cannabis grows associated with China has been an issue of increased interest for certain lawmakers.
In a recent report attached to a H0use spending bill covering Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) bill, members directed federal agencies to investigate illicit marijuana grows–with a specific requirement to look into “any connections or links to Chinese transnational criminal organizations and/or the government of the People’s Republic of China.”
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) separately claimed in 2024 that there’s been a proliferation of illegal cannabis activity in the U.S. associated with China. And he also said that there were thousands of licensed medial marijuana businesses in Oklahoma “flagged for suspicious activity over the last year had a Chinese connection.”
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) has also repeatedly raised concerns with federal officials at hearings about Chinese-linked cannabis grow houses in her state.
Leveraging the increasing attention to the issue, the prohibitionist group Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) put out an ad in July arguing that if President Donald Trump moved forward with a pending cannabis rescheduling proposal, it would empower Chinese cartels.
In 2023, a major marijuana lobbying firm apologized after sending a letter to Senate committee leadership concerning a bipartisan cannabis banking bill that contained “inappropriate” references to investments from China in a “misguided attempt” to push for amendments expanding the legislation.
It’s unclear why the House committee is choosing to address the issue now, but it comes at a pivotal moment for federal marijuana policy developments. Specifically, advocates and stakeholders are eagerly awaiting a decision from the president on the proposal to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).
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The House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday passed a spending bill that contains provisions to block the Justice Department from rescheduling marijuana.
Also on Wednesday, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee approved a bill to repeal a Washington, D.C. law expanding expungements for marijuana possession.
