US Should Use RICO Charges to Target Illegal Chinese Marijuana Farming, Experts Say

Experts urged Congress on Sept. 18 to launch a federal task force and utilize the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act to target Chinese transnational gangs involved in illegal marijuana farming in the United States. “This isn’t just about marijuana,” Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics Director Donnie Anderson told lawmakers during a congressional hearing on Thursday. “I’m not talking about mom or pop operations or even about people who utilize marijuana for whatever medical purpose they use it for. I’m talking about real organized transnational criminals who do not have our best interests at heart.” During a hearing before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability, lawmakers heard testimony about the rising threat of black market marijuana cultivation in states like Oklahoma, Maine, Massachusetts, and California....