Menominee Tribe says DEA destroyed hemp crop; officials say it was marijuana



KESHENA — The Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin says federal agents entered tribal lands and improperly destroyed a crop of industrial hemp.

But Acting U.S. Attorney Gregory Haanstad says the crop was an illegal marijuana grow operation. He says agents executed a search warrant Friday and seized about 30,000 marijuana plants weighing several thousand pounds.

The tribe legalized the growing of low THC industrial hemp on its lands in May. In a statement released Friday, the tribe says it has been at odds with federal authorities over whether the crop complies with the 2014 Farm Bill. The tribe acknowledged a portion of the crop was problematic, and said it had agreed to destroy that part of the crop itself.

Tribal Chairman Gary Besaw says he's disappointed with the government's actions.