None of the marijuana produced on Oklahoma farms can legally be sold outside the state. Even so, in 2023, Oklahoma’s attorney general estimated that 40 percent of the cannabis consumed in New York came from his state.

All of the farms linked to the hometown associations are under investigation by the authorities in Oklahoma; Mr. Wang’s operation was shut down in 2022 for operating without a license, but Mr. Wang continued to work in the business after that, records show.

The leaders of the hometown associations were among thousands of Chinese-born businessmen and workers who have flocked to the state to take advantage of cheap land and an industry-written law — unique in the United States — that allows growers to plant unlimited amounts of marijuana.

Instead of revitalizing Oklahoma’s rural economy as many had hoped, though, the law has fed a thriving market for bootleg cannabis, where suppliers ignore laws banning marijuana trafficking, undercut legitimate sellers and skirt taxes and safety testing, officials said.

Original: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/us/ny-china-hometown-association-oklahoma-marjiuana.html