Latest news with #ControlledSubstancesAct
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
With cannabis industry struggling, Western Mass. sellers and growers seek relief from high court
SPRINGFIELD – Plaintiffs growing, selling and delivering legal marijuana in Massachusetts now have two court decisions against them, but aren't giving up. They seek to overturn a federal law they say strangles their business. They were turned back last week by the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. But plaintiffs say their fight against the Richard Nixon-era Controlled Substances Act of 1970 is not over. 'It is fair to assume that we shall seek Supreme Court review,' wrote one of their attorneys, Jonathan D. Schiller of the firm Boies Schiller Flexner. The plaintiffs include Canna Provisions, with stores in Holyoke and Lee; Wiseacre Farms, which grows cannabis in West Stockbridge; Gyasi Sellers, of Springfield, which delivers cannabis; and Verano Holdings Inc. based in Chicago. That company owns Zen Leaf Enfield, at 98 Elm St., in Enfield, Connecticut. The plaintiffs say the 1970 law is an overreach and prevents them from making use of banking services and bankruptcy protection available to most businesses. The U.S. Supreme Court receives 7,000 to 8,000 petitions each term, but hears only about 80 cases. The Boies in the firm's name is that of David Boies, who represented former U.S. Vice President Al Gore during the recount controversy against President George W. Bush in the 2000 presidential election. Boies argued in person when the case came before U.S. District Judge Mark G. Mastroianni in Springfield a year ago. The judge ruled in favor of the U.S. Department of Justice and upheld the Controlled Substances Act. The companies appealed to the First Circuit and a three-judge panel ruled Tuesday, once again in favor of the government. The plaintiffs declined further comment. They sued in 2023, saying that with states legalizing cannabis for recreational use, the 1970 federal law exceeds Congressional power. Making their argument, the companies reached back into history showing that marijuana predates the U.S. Constitution. 'Each of the thirteen original colonies enacted' laws concerning marijuana — 'then known simply as 'hemp'' — some of which 'encouraged (or even required) colonists to grow marijuana,' the suit read. Even the Magna Carta of 1215 created rights concerning hemp cultivation and sometimes even 'made the cultivation of hemp compulsory.' But the appeals judges were unmoved, saying that if left unregulated, the trade in marijuana within states would impact interstate commerce. And Congress has the right to regulate interstate commerce. As a practical matter, federal law makes it harder for marijuana companies to lease farm land for fear of losing federal agricultural supports or to do banking or borrow money. The Massachusetts marijuana industry does $1 billion a year in sales, according to data kept by the Cannabis Control Commission. Commission data says marijuana retails for $125 an ounce these days, down from $416 in 2020. Ryan Dominguez, executive director of the Massachusetts Cannabis Coalition trade association, said 30 Massachusetts cannabis businesses closed in the last year. Regulation is expensive, he said. And every neighboring state except New Hampshire has legalized recreational marijuana. Many of those states have tailored their laws – such as limits on how much customers can buy in one transaction – to compete with Massachusetts. The federal law means none of them can take federal tax deductions, he said. And if they want to go out of business, they can't claim bankruptcy protection. The bankruptcy issue is something the lawsuit could fix if it reaches the Supreme Court, Dominguez said. 'A lot of these people would have to declare personal bankruptcy,' he said. And that means they would lose personal assets in addition to the business. Placing pigeons in the park on purpose in Springfield Cause detailed for February train derailment in Wendell 'Global order has been upset': World Affairs Council gauges tariff war impact on Western Mass Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Minnesota Army veteran: Cannabis need to be rescheduled
Upon rescheduling, the author writes, "Researchers and medical professionals would finally be able to conduct studies with the rigor and scope this issue demands, helping us better understand the full spectrum of cannabis's therapeutic potential. (Photo by Getty Images) As a U.S. Army veteran who served five combat deployments, I've seen firsthand the physical and psychological scars that many of my fellow service members carry with them after returning home. I've walked alongside soldiers battling PTSD, chronic pain, anxiety and the long-term effects of traumatic brain injuries. These are not just war wounds — they are life-altering burdens that often go unseen and untreated. In the years since I returned home, I've come to see that the path to healing doesn't always come easily. And for many veterans, traditional treatments aren't effective, leading us to turn to alternative treatments like cannabis. I say this not as an outsider or a casual observer, but as a patient, an advocate and a former member of the Minnesota Cannabis Advisory Council. I've had countless conversations with fellow veterans and civilians alike who have found relief through cannabis when traditional medicine failed them. I've seen its power, not as a miracle drug, but as a legitimate and effective treatment for various conditions. That's why I strongly support the push to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. The work that started during the Biden administration on this issue appears to have stalled out, and it needs a jumpstart. Rescheduling cannabis to Schedule III would be more than a symbolic gesture. It would represent a tangible, meaningful shift in how we treat cannabis and those who rely on it. It would open the door to comprehensive clinical research that has long been stifled under federal restrictions. Researchers and medical professionals would finally be able to conduct studies with the rigor and scope this issue demands, helping us better understand the full spectrum of cannabis's therapeutic potential. And let's be clear: Support for this change is not partisan. In fact, President Donald Trump has expressed support for rescheduling cannabis, recognizing the benefits of modernizing our drug laws. When leaders from across the political spectrum — conservatives, libertarians, progressives and independents — are aligned on an issue, it tells us something: This isn't a radical idea. It's a reasonable one. Despite this growing body of evidence, our federal government still classifies cannabis as a Schedule I drug, putting it on par with heroin and declaring it to have 'no accepted medical use' and a 'high potential for abuse.' Veterans, perhaps more than any other group, understand the consequences of bureaucratic inertia. We've watched the Veterans Affairs system struggle to keep up with the growing mental health crisis in our community. We've watched our brothers- and sisters-in-arms cycle through prescriptions, such as opioids, antidepressants and sleeping pills, many of which come with debilitating side effects and limited long-term effectiveness. Cannabis has been a lifeline for many of us. And the irony is, in states where medical cannabis is legal, veterans often still face stigma from health care providers and risks to their federal benefits if they choose to use it. Why? Because cannabis remains stigmatized by outdated federal laws that ignore decades of research and real-world experience. Reclassifying cannabis would legitimize it in the eyes of our health care system. It would allow providers, especially those within the VA, to have honest conversations with patients about medical cannabis as an option. It would remove the concern that many veterans face when they bring up cannabis with their doctors, fearing judgment or repercussions. We can't talk about supporting veterans and then ignore a reform such as this one that could improve our lives. We can't claim to respect our service members while denying us access to a medicine that helps us live with dignity and purpose. We served our country with honor. We did our duty. Now we are simply asking our government to do theirs. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Boards move to sanction Iowans licensed through error or fraud
The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing administers and oversees many of Iowa's state licensing boards. (Photo courtesy of Getty Images; logo courtesy the State of Iowa) An Iowa woman appears to have procured her barbering and cosmetology license through fraud, according to state records. Iowa Board of Barbering and Cosmetology recently reached an agreement with Suong Ngoc Nguyen to have Nguyen surrender her cosmetology license. While the agreement does not specify any allegation of misconduct by Nguyen, the charges against her reference administrative rules that are related to procuring a license through fraud, possibly by filing with the board 'any false or forged diploma, certificate, affidavit, identification or qualification.' The agreement suggests the board granted Nguyen a license to work in Iowa four years ago, in 2021, one day after she provided the board with evidence that she was licensed in California. The available board documents do not indicate where Nguyen has worked but suggest she may have lived in Boone at one time. The agreement to have Nguyen surrender her license has little practical effect since board records indicate the license expired in March 2023. According to the board, Nguyen can apply for a new Iowa license in one year. Other recent actions by Iowa licensing authorities include: — The Iowa Board of Massage Therapy has notified Huimin Zhao that it intends to rescind Zhao's massage-therapy license, which the board says it granted only because of a clerical error on its part. According to board documents, Zhao applied for a license in December 2024 and listed JK Holy Career Institute as the school where he completed his education in 2021. However, the institute was decertified in 2019. Despite that, the board responded to Zhao's application in January 2025 by issuing him a license to work in Iowa. The available board documents give no indication as to where Zhao worked in Iowa after his license was issued. — The Iowa Board of Pharmacy reached an agreement with Carl Markley of Ames, who is currently serving a life sentence for sexually abusing and trafficking dozens of children and adults, to surrender his Controlled Substances Act registration. Prosecutors alleged Markley used fraud and coercion to cause dozens of teenage boys and young men, as well as a few young women, to engage in sex acts in exchange for money or other benefits. Markley was a nurse practitioner in Ames and owned several businesses. He surrendered his Iowa nursing license in May 2023.
Politico
4 days ago
- Health
- Politico
A psychedelics hire at HHS
WASHINGTON WATCH A well-known drug-policy lawyer is joining the Department of Health and Human Services to work on psychedelics policy, according to two sources with knowledge of the move who requested anonymity because it hasn't been announced yet, POLITICO's Natalie Fertig reports. Matt Zorn, most recently a partner at Yetter Coleman, is listed in the HHS employee directory as deputy general counsel. Zorn has been involved in numerous cannabis and psychedelics cases over the years, including representing one of the parties selected to participate in the DEA's administrative law hearings regarding the ongoing effort to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. Psychedelics momentum: Zorn's hiring is the latest in a string of encouraging signs for the psychedelic medicine advocates watching to see whether the Trump administration will support their agenda. Supporters were initially heartened when Trump tapped Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead HHS, since he previously expressed support for psychedelics. They were further encouraged when Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins referenced psychedelics on a podcast appearance, on the social media platform X and at a cabinet meeting when Trump pressed him on what he's doing to drive down the high suicide rate among veterans. While the FDA rejected drugmaker Lykos Therapeutics' plan last summer to offer the lab-made MDMA — also known as ecstasy — alongside therapy as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary said that getting answers to patients about psychedelic medicine is a top FDA priority during a News Nation interview earlier this month. 'When it comes to some of these psychedelics and other plant-based therapies, I don't think we're listening to patients,' Makary said. He further promised 'an expeditious and rapid review' of data from forthcoming psychedelics clinical trials. 'I don't think it's a silver bullet, but we owe it to people who are suffering to do everything we can as a government to get a decision on the results as soon as they are available.' WELCOME TO FUTURE PULSE This is where we explore the ideas and innovators shaping health care. There's a limit to how much California Gov. Gavin Newsom is willing to restrict artificial intelligence, an industry on whose tax revenues the state's coffers are increasingly reliant, our California colleagues report. Asked by Sutter Health CEO Warner Thomas on Tuesday how the state should regulate AI, Newsom cautioned against overregulation. 'We have to be very careful in that respect,' Newsom said. 'No one is calling for an EU-style regulation,' he added. 'Some of you might be. We're certainly not.' Share any thoughts, news, tips and feedback with Danny Nguyen at dnguyen@ Carmen Paun at cpaun@ Ruth Reader at rreader@ or Erin Schumaker at eschumaker@ Want to share a tip securely? Message us on Signal: Dannyn516.70, CarmenP.82, RuthReader.02 or ErinSchumaker.01. WORLD VIEW France is a step closer to legalizing assisted dying, our POLITICO colleagues in Europe report. On Tuesday, the French National Assembly voted 305-199 to pass a bill granting the 'right to assistance in dying for adult patients afflicted with a serious illness who have requested it.' Big picture: France joins a growing list of Western European countries, including Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland, which are moving toward enabling people to end their lives under strict conditions. In the U.K., British members of Parliament voted in favor of legalization in November. The legislation is nearing its final phase. Putting safeguards in place: Those who oppose assisted dying warn such laws can endanger vulnerable people, especially young people and those with mental health conditions. The French bill includes several safeguards against those risks: — Patients must be over 18 and either French nationals or permanent residents. — They must have a 'serious and incurable' illness that's both life-threatening and has reached an advanced or life-limiting stage. — Their suffering, whether physical or psychological, must be considered 'unbearable' or 'resistant to treatment.' — Patients must be capable of giving informed consent and must self-administer the lethal medication, unless unable to do so. — A patient's doctor will make the final call. The legislation requires that doctors consult with at least one other medical professional who specializes in a patient's pathology, as well as with a health care worker who was involved in the person's care. What's next: The French bill will be debated in the Senate, which is controlled by a conservative majority that could seek to amend or remove several provisions. If the parliamentary process fails to produce an agreement between the two chambers, President Emmanuel Macron — who promised the legislation during his 2022 campaign — has suggested the issue could be put to the public via a referendum, although constitutional experts have questioned the legality of such a move. French lawmakers also unanimously green-lighted a separate bill to improve palliative care in France.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Are DEA's Prevoznik and Strait Lecturing the World on Drug Policy While Undermining U.S. Marijuana Law?
The appearance of Thomas Prevoznik and Matthew Strait as thought leaders in global drug policy is more than just tone-deaf-it's dangerous. It validates a failed regulatory approach that punishes innovation, undermines public health, and sidelines scientific progress for political convenience WASHINGTON, DC / / May 20, 2025 / The irony is hard to ignore: two of the most controversial figures within the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's Diversion Control Division-Thomas Prevoznik and Matthew Strait-recently took the global stage in Dubai to lecture international law enforcement professionals about drug policy. Thomas Prevoznik, the Division's Assistant Administrator, and Matthew Strait, his Deputy and marijuana policy architects, spoke at the World Police Summit-an event attended by more than 20,000 law enforcement officials from across the globe. Yet back home, these very officials are under growing scrutiny for their alleged role in obstructing legitimate pharmaceutical marijuana research in the United States, particularly in the case of MMJ BioPharma Cultivation. A Case of DEA Hypocrisy For years, Thomas Prevoznik and Matthew Strait have been central figures in the DEA's inexplicable delays of MARIJUANA research applications for pharmaceutical cannabis-applications that are federally lawful, publicly supported, and medically urgent. MMJ International Holdings, a company with two FDA-approved Investigational New Drug (IND) applications, has been waiting over seven years for DEA approval to grow pharmaceutical-grade cannabis. These delays, directed under the authority of Prevoznik and Strait, contradict both the Controlled Substances Act and the DEA's own Diversion Personnel Manual, which prioritizes "expeditious processing" of research-based cannabis applications. So, what business do these officials have lecturing the world on drug enforcement ethics and best practices? Making Up the Rules As They Go Thomas Prevoznik and Matthew Strait have been accused of applying inconsistent standards, misinterpreting regulatory requirements, and essentially rewriting the law as they see fit, depending on who's applying. Rather than following a transparent, science-based process, the two have allegedly engineered a system of selective obstruction-denying or slow-walking cannabis research while using DEA bureaucracy as a shield. It's this brand of regulatory manipulation that the U.S. Supreme Court has recently begun to address, ruling against unchecked agency tribunals and calling into question the DEA's internal adjudication system. Exporting Failure By taking the stage at the World Police Summit, Prevoznik and Strait weren't just presenting policy-they were exporting DEA dysfunction. Their keynote focused on lessons learned from the U.S. opioid crisis, yet the DEA's own failures in curbing opioid abuse-while simultaneously blocking alternatives like cannabinoid-based therapies-paint a picture of regulatory incompetence, not leadership. If anything, this international platform reveals a global public relations campaign designed to preserve the DEA's image abroad while deflecting mounting criticism at home. But reputations aren't built on speeches-they're built on accountability, transparency, and outcomes. DEA: A Dangerous Policy Precedent The appearance of Prevoznik and Strait as thought leaders in global drug policy is more than just tone-deaf-it's dangerous. It validates a failed regulatory approach that punishes innovation, undermines public health, and sidelines scientific progress for political convenience. Before preaching reform to the world, these DEA officials should first be held to account for what they've failed to do right here in the United States. The real summit isn't in Dubai-it's in the courtrooms, laboratories, and hospitals where patients are still waiting for life-saving therapies that the DEA has unjustly delayed. MMJ is represented by attorney Megan Sheehan. CONTACT:Madison HiseyMHisey@ SOURCE: MMJ International Holdings View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
