DEA nominee continues to evade marijuana rescheduling question

President Donald Trump’s choice to lead the U.S.Drug Enforcement Administration has repeatedly declined to say whether his agency will downgrade marijuana’s status under federal law.

But in what might be a sign of the agency’s attitude toward the drug if Terrance Cole is confirmed as administrator by the Senate, the DEA last week claimed that Chinese criminal organizations “dominate” American marijuana production, especially in states “where the cannabis industry is ‘legal,’” the agency wrote. ADVERTISEMENT Cole, who worked as Virginia Gov.

Glenn Youngkin’s homeland security chief after a career at the DEA, appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 30 and later provided written answers to senators’ questions.Both New Jersey Democratic Sen.

Cory Booker and California Democratic Sen.Alex Padilla pressed Cole on the marijuana rescheduling question, including asking whether the DEA is bound by law to follow a finding by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that cannabis has a medical use in the United States.

And Cole gave them both the same answer, according to responses dated May 7.Cole would ‘give careful consideration’ to rescheduling marijuana “If confirmed, will you follow the HHS recommendation to reschedule cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III?” Booker asked.

Cole responded: “If confirmed, I will give the matter careful consideration after consulting with appropriate personnel within the Drug Enforcement Administration, familiarizing myself with the current status of the regulatory process, and reviewing all relevant information.” ADVERTISEMENT He later added, in response to a follow-up question: “As in all matters, if confirmed, I would look at the individualized facts and circumstances and follow the law and any policies of the Department.” He gave a similar variation of that answer in respo...