Maine’s chief cannabis regulator said Wednesday that the Office of Cannabis Policy (OCP) is aware that it’s been issuing licenses to individuals associated with transnational organized crime.

At a hearing before the Maine Legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee (VLA), Director Hudak attempted to address concerns about the hundreds of illegal cannabis cultivation operations in mostly rural Maine that are controlled by Asian Transnational Criminal Organizations (ATCOs).

“We know that these networks are sophisticated and well-funded,” Hudak said. “They rely on complex schemes to establish illegal grows under the radar of enforcement agencies.”

Hudak confirmed that intelligence and enforcement efforts had identified connections to international criminal enterprises.