On Saturday, June 1 U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) spoke with Inside Maine host Shawn Moody about the growing problem of illegal marijuana grows in Maine linked to Chinese criminal organizations.

Collins said the operations, some involving over 200 homes, “pose a serious threat to public health and national security.” “We know that the individuals who are growing marijuana in these rural houses in Maine are not following state law. We know that we have no idea really what the whether the marijuana they’re growing it’s contaminated. how strong it is,” Collins told Moody. “Most likely the Chinese are using it to launder money to bring in fentanyl there are allegations of human trafficking particularly in other states. And you have to wonder why are the Chinese doing that?”

Collins commended law enforcement for cracking down on the operations but said more needed to be done. “We have just got to put all the resources into shutting down these Chinese operations, or whoever they’re operated by,” she said.

The senator also spoke of the Trump Conviction saying she does not fault the jury:

She said “My criticism is of the DA because I believe it’s fundamental in this country, that it shouldn’t matter who you are when charges are brought. But you shouldn’t bring charges because of who the person is…. And the DA made pretty clear when he was campaigning, even bragged about suing Donald Trump 100 times which was not even true. And it really bothered me that regardless of who it is, and regardless of whether you’re a fan of President Trump or you’re not a fan, he should not be subject to charges that would not be brought against anybody else.”

To listen to the interview Click Here