New DEA Admin Sidelines Cannabis Rescheduling Despite Earlier Promises – MEDCAN24

Terrance C. Col, newly appointed administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration(DEA), neglected to mention that the cannabis rescheduling was stalled in a release published recently outlining eight priorities for federal agency.

When asked by lawmakers about the possibility of moving cannabis from the Schedule I to the Schedule III list, Cole replied that it would “be one of my top priorities” to investigate the matter if he were to be appointed.

Now that he’s been confirmed as DEA director, Cole has revealed the first eight agency priorities. And none of them are related to the stalled process for cannabis rescheduling. Cole claims that the DEA will instead focus its enforcement on actions such as targeting drug traffickers including Mexican cartels, disrupting the illegal supply chain, expanding partnerships with local and state law enforcement, targeting “illicit financing” including cryptocurrency sales, and “other coordinated enforcement efforts against criminal transnational organizations.”

The DEA Administrative Law judge who had been overseeing the rescheduling matter announced his resignation last week. He noted that, moving forward, all matters filed in the case would be sent to the DEA administrator for any action he deems necessary.

Since taking office the Trump second administration has been silent on this issue. President Trump stated during the election last year that he was in favor of removing marijuana from Schedule I.