DEA Slammed For Unlawful Talks With Cannabis Opponents – The Plot Thickens
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is facing legal heat following accusations of unlawful communication with Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), a leading opponent of the Biden administration’s plan to reschedule marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Now, a judge has given both DEA and SAM until November 25 to respond.
Here’s what we know.
The Facts
On November 20, DEA Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) John Mulrooney issued an order responding to a motion filed by cannabis organizations Village Farms International and Hemp for Victory. The motion disputes the DEA’s role as a “proponent” of the rescheduling rule, alleging conflicts of interest.
The motion argues that the DEA’s advocacy for the rescheduling rule violates impartiality principles:
“Not once in its history as an agency had DEA ever rejected an HHS scheduling recommendation. This time, however, DEA did not just disagree with HHS’s views, it opposed them so vehemently that the Attorney General had to refer the interagency dispute to the Office of Legal Counsel for resolution.”
As a result, Mulrooney has set a deadline …