Senator Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain, recently held an interim study to evaluate the influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) within the state of Oklahoma.

The study evaluated the surge in illegal marijuana cultivation in the state, raising concerns about foreign involvement, environmental hazards, and risks to public safety.

“CCP presence in Oklahoma and the United States has rapidly progressed from influence to insurgency,” Hamilton said.

“In WWII, just over 407,000 Americans were killed in action. Now compare that with the 100,000 deaths from fentanyl overdoses each year, and you begin to get a sense of the problem.

“CCP and their proxies are killing Americans, and we’ve got to do more to protect our citizens.”

Presenters at the study reported significant foreign influence in the state’s marijuana operations, with a notable increase in foreign ownership and control of land and licenses through straw ownership, with profits ultimately being sent back to China and other adversarial nations.

Lieutenant Colonel Mitch Smith of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (OBNDD) Marijuana Enforcement Unit highlighted that the value of illegal marijuana in Oklahoma varies per pound but increases substantially as it is transported toward major East Coast cities.

Officials from the Office of the Attorney General, including Steve Blevins and Dane Towery, reported significant foreign influence in the state’s marijuana operations, with ownership and control from individuals of Asian descent, particularly Chinese, as well as Russian, Bulgarian, Vietnamese, and other actors.

Kelley Currie, State Armor Advisory Board member, highlighted sophisticated operations exploiting U.S. systems, including foreign influences donating large sums of money to educational institutions within the state.

“I am grateful to State Armor for their input. The CCP has no business of any kind at a taxpayer-funded institution. Our legislation this year will get rid of their influence,” Hamilton added.

The expert testimonies further warned of permanent loss of agricultural land due to abandoned grow houses, illegal dumping, and pesticide contamination.

All of the presenters emphasized the nationwide implications of these illicit operations, while Lieutenant Colonel Jabonn Flurry of the Oklahoma National Guard 63rd Civil Support Team detailed the chemical risks to first responders, and the close relationships between the chemicals in the contraband pesticides and nerve agents.

View the full study and complete remarks from the presenters at oksenate.gov/liveproceedings.

Sen. Hamilton can be reached at 405-5215604 or Warren.Hamilton@ oksenate.gov.