A complex network of Chinese-run black market marijuana operations is enveloping the U.S. -- and Michigan is caught in the web.

Though the chain of command is murky, politicians, attorneys and law enforcement who spoke with MLive believe the multi-layered networks originate in mainland China — possibly with the knowledge and backing of its government.

The owners target states with lax or confusing marijuana laws and enforcement, or with legal frameworks ripe for manipulation, most publicly in Oklahoma, where Department of Narcotics spokesman Mark Woodward said there’s “clear evidence” of connections to the Chinese Communist Party.

Similar operations have recently been uncovered in Michigan, where state police seized 13,400 cannabis plants from an illicit grow in Lake County’s Baldwi

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