President Donald Trump has formally named his decide to steer the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)—deciding on a decades-long company veteran and prime Virginia official who’s voiced issues in regards to the risks of marijuana and linked its use to larger suicide threat amongst youth.
On Tuesday, Trump introduced that he’s nominating Terrance Cole to function DEA administrator rather than Acting Administrator Derek Maltz.
Cole labored at DEA for 21 years and at present serves as Virginia’s secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security (PSHS), the place a part of his accountability is to supervise the state Cannabis Control Authority (CCA).
After a go to to CCA’s workplace final 12 months, Cole posted on LinkedIn: “Everybody knows my stance on marijuana after 30 plus years in law enforcement, so don’t even ask!”
For those that aren’t accustomed to his place on the problem nevertheless, the submit was accompanied by hashtags together with #justsayno, #issues, #notlegal4distribution, #healthissues, #thinblueline and #backtheblue.
Last February, he additionally shared a hyperlink to an article posed on a DEA web site titled “NOT ‘Just Weed’: Four Times More Dangerous in Three Decades” that hyperlinks excessive THC content material in hashish to “increased problems with memory and learning, distorted perception, difficulty in thinking and problem-solving, and loss of coordination.”
Spend sufficient time at events or golf equipment? Please learn this text from the @DEAHQ to study the hazards of peer strain and marijuana use: https://t.co/uuj0YcscXP
— Secretary Terrance Cole (@VA_PSHS) February 21, 2024
“Even more disturbingly, all too often, people are unaware that marijuana, especially when it contains more THC, is a risk factor for psychosis and schizophrenia, as well as the fact that it stunts brain growth, sometimes includes lead and mercury, and can alter male sperm DNA linked to autism,” the submit says.
Also final February, Cole shared a examine discovering “higher suicide risks linked to marijuana and alcohol use in high school.”
Concerned about our youth? Recent examine exhibits larger suicide dangers linked to marijuana and alcohol use in highschool.
To educate and assist our youth, please learn the complete article right here: https://t.co/XaALZQPfqZ
— Secretary Terrance Cole (@VA_PSHS) February 13, 2024
It doesn’t seem that Cole has publicly weighed in on the Biden administration-initiated marijuana rescheduling proposal, which was additionally endorsed by Trump on the marketing campaign path. If confirmed by the Senate, the official will inherit that administrative course of.
For advocates, the brand new choice to steer DEA is hardly extra encouraging for the prospects of reform in comparison with the appearing administrator, Maltz, who subscribes to the “gateway drug” theory for marijuana and believes most individuals dwelling in states which have legalized hashish will proceed to acquire it from illicit sources comparable to cartels on account of excessive taxes in regulated markets.
Maltz has been significantly essential of the present marijuana rescheduling effort, claiming that the Justice Department “hijacked” the method from DEA when it superior a suggestion from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to maneuver hashish from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).
Historically it has been the DEA administrator to log out on drug scheduling strikes, however on this case the hashish proposed rule was signed by then-Attorney General Merrick Garland.
For now, administrative hearings on the rescheduling proposal that had been scheduled to start final month have been delayed, with an company decide lately granting an appeal motion from pro-reform witnesses that may set the clock again at the least three months amid allegations of improper communications between DEA and rescheduling opponents and extra.
Trump initially selected Hillsborough County, Florida Sheriff Chad Chronister to lead DEA, however the potential nominee—who strongly advocated for marijuana decriminalization—withdrew from consideration final month amid scrutiny from conservative lawmakers over the sheriff’s file on COVID-related public security enforcement actions.
Meanwhile, Trump’s selection for U.S. legal professional normal, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi (R), is declining to say how she plans to navigate key marijuana policy issues—together with the continuing rescheduling course of and renewing federal enforcement steering—if she’s finally confirmed.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s nominee to steer HHS, stated lately that he will defer to DEA on marijuana rescheduling if confirmed. And he’d “like to review the data” that led to the well being company’s suggestion for the reform earlier than he doubtlessly embraces it—despite his previous, repeated calls for cannabis legalization.
Meanwhile, in Virginia, Cole additionally served as an ex officio member of the state’s Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Board.
Cole was appointed to steer the PSHS by Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), who strongly opposes marijuana legalization and is currently threatening to veto a bill that was recently approved within the House and awaits ultimate approval within the Senate to create a system of regulated, adult-use gross sales. He vetoed related laws that reached his desk final 12 months.
Youngkin emphasised throughout his State of the Commonwealth deal with final month that he’s not interested in cooperating with lawmakers to legalize marijuana sales within the state, claiming that doing so would damage kids, worsen psychological well being and enhance violent crime.
It’s not clear to what extent, if in any respect, Cole has been consulted, or weighed in on, the governor’s hashish platform or any current legalization proposals behind the scenes.
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Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.
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