Terrance Cole, tapped by President Trump to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration, testified his administration would make reviewing cannabis’s federal status a top concern while avoiding firm commitments about the outcome.
“It’ll be one of my first priorities when I arrived at DEA to see where we are in the administrative process,” Cole told the Senate Judiciary Committee during his April 30 hearing regarding the proposal to shift cannabis to a less restrictive classification.
Cole has historically maintained a strong anti-marijuana stance. In a LinkedIn post from his position as Virginia’s Secretary of Public Safety, he wrote, “Everybody knows my stance on marijuana after 30 plus years in law enforcement, so don’t even ask!” accompanied by hashtags including “#justsayno” and “#disorders.”
The potential regulatory change, which would transfer marijuana from its current Schedule I classification to Schedule III, follows health authorities’ determination that the substance possesses legitimate therapeutic applications with manageable risk factors.
Proceedings currently remain suspended after a regulatory intervention in January, with no established timeline for resolution.
When California Senator Alex Padilla repeatedly sought assurance the reclassification would reach completion under Cole’s leadership, the nominee maintained his noncommittal stance.
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen it, sir,” Cole replied when asked directly about implementing the proposed changes.
Cole has previously linked marijuana use to increased suicide risk among youth and has publicly expressed concerns about its dangers, making his appointment significant for the cannabis industry.
Related: Acting DEA Chief Says Cannabis Review Is Not Dead—Yet—as Successor Looms
The regulatory adjustment would formally recognize marijuana’s medical utility under federal statute, facilitate research under FDA oversight, and eliminate tax code restrictions that industry analysts calculate cost cannabis enterprises $1.8 billion in additional tax liability compared to other businesses in 2022.
While identifying fentanyl trafficking as his principal objective, Cole expressed support to Senator Thom Tillis for establishing an interagency task force to address discrepancies between federal and state marijuana laws.
The nominee’s eventual approach toward cannabis policy could substantially impact state-authorized operations caught between conflicting regulatory frameworks, particularly given his documented skepticism toward marijuana legalization.
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