Latest news with #TerranceCole
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Think it's hard working for Trump? Try running the DEA and the DC police
WASHINGTON – Working for the famously impatient President Donald Trump in one top job is hard enough. Imagine the uncomfortable position Trump's new interim federal police commissioner finds himself in. As part of his extraordinary Aug. 11 federal takeover of law enforcement in the nation's capital, Trump tapped his newly confirmed Drug Enforcement Administration chief Terrance "Terry" Cole to also head one of the nation's largest and most dysfunctional police departments as part of a broader Justice Department takeover. All eyes will be on Cole as he tries to deliver on Trump's promise to sharply and immediately reduce violent crime. More: Trump says Washington needs National Guard protection. Police data says crime is down. Cole just took over at DEA on July 23 after his Senate confirmation and oversees a staff of 10,000 agents and other personnel. But now Cole also will be taking over the top job at the Metropolitan Police Department at the personal direction of a man who made a name for himself by firing people for even the most minor screw-ups. In the same breath as telling Cole about his new position, in fact, Trump described him on Aug. 11 as 'our new DEA administrator, who's one of the top in the country.' 'He better be,' Trump added, looking at his new appointee. 'Terry, if you're not, I gotta get rid of you so fast.' More: 'Move Out, Immediately:' Trump's vision for ridding DC streets of homeless Cole is likely to face stiff opposition from Washington officials, including its city council and federal delegate, Eleanor Holmes Norton. It was unclear how the police rank and file and the MPD's police union would respond to being run by the Trump administration. "We completely agree with the President that crime in the District of Columbia is out of control and something needs to be done with it," union chief Gregg Pemberton told Fox News. More: Trump says Washington is unsafe, but the data tells a more nuanced story Democratic lawmakers in Congress also criticized Trump's takeover of the MPD and his decision to send National Guard troops into the city to help reduce crime rates that DOJ itself said recently were at a 30-year low. Cole will also have to deliver results for Attorney General Pam Bondi, who Trump put in charge overall of the DOJ takeover. And he'll have another direct boss in U.S. Marshal Gadyaces 'Gady' Serralta, who Bondi said will be 'supervising command and control of the entire operation' under her and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. A DEA career and a state homeland security job Cole does have some experience working with local law enforcement and in juggling a lot of responsibilities. From 2023 to earlier this year, he served as Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin's secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security. In that role, he oversaw 11 state public safety agencies comprising more than 19,000 employees and managing an annual budget of $5.7 billion. At DEA, one of Cole's highest priorities is to reduce drug-fueled violence in America's most affected cities through expanded partnerships with state and local law enforcement, according to the DEA's news release following his confirmation. Cole was praised by Trump and Patel on Monday for an interagency operation in Northern Virginia between the FBI and local authorities that resulted in the arrest of 545 people. 'What are we going to bring to DC? What we did in Northern Virginia, thanks to Terry Cole and Governor Youngkin and the team,' FBI Director Kash Patel told reporters. 'We said, let's let good cops be cops. Let's get them the intelligence and what they need, and let's get the red tape out of their way, and let's get DOJ partnered up with us to bring great prosecutions,' Patel said. 'And that's exactly what we did.' Posts in New York, DC, Colombia and Afghanistan Before his stint in Virginia, Cole was a respected 22-year career agent and supervisor at the DEA, where he served in Oklahoma, New York and Washington – as well as in Colombia, Afghanistan and the Middle East. Before retiring in 2020, Cole served as DEA's acting regional director of Mexico, Canada and Central America. He also served as a police officer in New York state. Michael Braun, one of Cole's former DEA colleagues, said he was 'a bit surprised' at the announcement but that Cole is up to the job. 'I know Terry very well, and the guy's quite capable of handling DEA as well as the DC Police Department,' Braun, the former DEA chief of operations. 'I mean, look, he's got a command staff in place at the DC police department and he's got his command staff in place at DEA. So he's going to have his hands full,' Braun said. 'But I have all the confidence in the world that he can do it.' But reducing crime in DC will be just one of Cole's assignments. Another will be managing Trump's expectations. And the president suggested he wants Cole to also tackle the thorny issues of wokeness and culture wars at a police force with a proud history of Black leadership. Looking at Cole, Trump told him to be 'tough' on the police force. 'You have a lot of good people. You have people that shouldn't be there. … They got in there because of woke,' Trump said. 'But you have a lot of great police and those people are the ones that want to help you.' An ally in the DC Police Union? Gregg Pemberton, chairman of the DC Police Union, appeared to welcome the move. 'We completely agree with the President that crime in the District of Columbia is out of control. Something needs to be done with it,' Pemberton said in an appearance on Fox News. The union chief said that in 2020, the DC City Council passed 'an enormous amount of legislation' that exposed officers to administrative, civil and even criminal liability, 'even when they do their jobs properly.' As a result, the department now has 3,180 sworn police officers, down 800 from its authorized strength of 4000. 'So the fact that we need help from federal law enforcement and maybe even the National Guard shouldn't come as a surprise,' Pemberton said. But, Pemberton added, 'to make sure that it doesn't ebb and flow, and that the feds come in and we lower crime, and then they leave and we're left holding the bag, it's very important that people know that there is underlying legislation that needs to be corrected so that we can actually properly staff this police department in order to properly police the city.' This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump's new DC police boss: Terry Cole also leads the DEA Solve the daily Crossword
Associated Press
10-08-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
TERRY COLE FIX IT! DEA Blocks FDA Cannabis Trials While Contaminated Marijuana Floods State Markets
Terrance Cole's Choice: Reformer or Cover-Up Artist? New DEA Administrator Terrance Cole stands at a crossroads: Quotes From Inside the Agency Reveal Systemic Corruption, Regulatory Negligence, and Public Health Betrayal. The DEA's war on cannabis research is not just a failure of policy-it's a failure of morality. WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESS Newswire / August 10, 2025 / While patients suffering from Huntington's disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and other debilitating conditions await life saving cannabis based treatments, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) continues to flaunt its profound ignorance, regulatory negligence, and outright corruption. The agency's mission claims to 'ensure an adequate and uninterrupted supply of controlled substances for medical and scientific needs,' but internal statements and actions reveal a shocking pattern of incompetence, deceit, and deliberate obstruction. From field agents to senior leadership, the DEA's handling of cannabis research applications has devolved into a circus of bureaucratic malpractice -one that prioritizes power over patients, red tape over science, and self preservation over public health. The DEA's Greatest Hits: A Compilation of Cluelessness and Corruption Here are actual quotes from DEA officials tasked with overseeing cannabis research-exposing an agency that is either catastrophically inept or intentionally sabotaging medical progress: The Bigger Scandal: A Culture of Corruption These quotes are not isolated incidents-they reflect a systemic rot within the DEA's Diversion Control Division: The Human Cost: Patients Left to Suffer While the DEA plays bureaucratic games: The Solution: Dismantle the DEA's Obstruction Machine Congress, the courts, and the White House must act now: Terrance Cole's Moment of Truth (2025) New DEA Administrator Terrance Cole faces a choice: America doesn't need more anti-science bureaucrats-it needs leaders who put patients over politics. The DEA's cannabis obstruction isn't just incompetence-it's institutional malpractice. MMJ is represented by attorney Megan Sheehan. CONTACT: Madison Hisey [email protected] 203-231-8583 SOURCE: MMJ International Holdings press release
Yahoo
10-08-2025
- Yahoo
TERRY COLE FIX IT! DEA Blocks FDA Cannabis Trials While Contaminated Marijuana Floods State Markets
Terrance Cole's Choice: Reformer or Cover-Up Artist? New DEA Administrator Terrance Cole stands at a crossroads: Break rank, clean house, and restore the DEA's marijuana research credibility by approving MMJ BioPharma's application. Or protect the old guard's corruption-and go down as the next puppet in a failed prohibitionist machine. Quotes From Inside the Agency Reveal Systemic Corruption, Regulatory Negligence, and Public Health Betrayal. The DEA's war on cannabis research is not just a failure of policy-it's a failure of morality. WASHINGTON, DC / / August 10, 2025 / While patients suffering from Huntington's disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and other debilitating conditions await life saving cannabis based treatments, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) continues to flaunt its profound ignorance, regulatory negligence, and outright corruption. The agency's mission claims to "ensure an adequate and uninterrupted supply of controlled substances for medical and scientific needs," but internal statements and actions reveal a shocking pattern of incompetence, deceit, and deliberate obstruction. From field agents to senior leadership, the DEA's handling of cannabis research applications has devolved into a circus of bureaucratic malpractice-one that prioritizes power over patients, red tape over science, and self preservation over public health. The DEA's Greatest Hits: A Compilation of Cluelessness and Corruption Here are actual quotes from DEA officials tasked with overseeing cannabis research-exposing an agency that is either catastrophically inept or intentionally sabotaging medical progress: Thomas Cook, Diversion Investigator, Rhode Island: (2021)"I know nothing about marijuana. Are you growing it in the 10 by 20 vault?" This is the DEA's idea of an "expert" on controlled substances-an investigator who openly admits complete ignorance of the plant he is supposed to regulate. How can an agency that enforces pharmaceutical compliance employ personnel who lack even basic knowledge of the substances they oversee? Mark Rubins, New England Diversion Supervisor: (2022)"If your doctor doing the clinical trial had a Schedule I Researcher's Registration previously that expired, just tell him to reapply and DEA Headquarters will approve him." A hollow promise from an agency that has systematically denied nearly every cannabis research application for decades. Thousands of patients suffer while DEA bureaucrats like Rubins dismiss their plight with empty reassurances. Matthew Strait, DEA Deputy Policy Administrator: (2023)"The other applicants that got approved just did the Bona Fide Supply Agreement with the DEA purchasing the marijuana from the growers-that will be OK." Strait's comment exposes the DEA's Catch-22 trap: Applicants must have a DEA registration to secure a Bona Fide Supply Agreement (BFSA), but the DEA refuses to grant registration without a BFSA. This rigged system has blocked legitimate companies like MMJ BioPharma Cultivation for seven years, despite FDA-approved clinical trials for Huntington's and Multiple Sclerosis. Ricardo Quintero, DEA Section Chief: (2023)"Oh, you are calling about your MMJ bulk manufacturing application? And why do you want to know?" The arrogance is staggering. Quintero's dismissive response to a company following federal law and investing millions in compliant research underscores the DEA's contempt for transparency. Aarathi Haig, DEA Chief Counsel (to MMJ's attorney Megan Sheehan): (2024)"Oh, the DEA will settle your litigation-just have your client withdraw their application, and we will expedite their new one." A blatant extortion attempt. Haig, who is not in good standing with the New Jersey Bar due to unpaid fees and lapsed legal education requirements, tried to strong-arm MMJ into abandoning its legal fight in exchange for empty promises. Thomas Prevoznik, DEA Deputy Administrator (in a formal letter to MMJ): (2024)"After a careful review of your application and consistent with my obligation to ensure public safety under the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 801, et. seq.), I deny the request to discontinue or defer administrative proceedings. Furthermore, I have determined there is no potential modification of your application that could or would alter my decision in this regard." A premeditated blockade. Prevoznik, who has overseen the DEA's Diversion Control Division during its worst failures-including allowing contaminated cannabis to flood state markets while blocking pharmaceutical-grade research-has made it clear: The DEA's priority is obstruction, not public health . The Bigger Scandal: A Culture of Corruption These quotes are not isolated incidents-they reflect a systemic rot within the DEA's Diversion Control Division: Fraudulent Licensing: The DEA rubber-stamped eight cannabis research licenses between 2021-2022, but seven are inactive, bankrupt, or non-compliant. One was even set up in a garage. Unconstitutional Tactics: The DEA dragged MMJ into an administrative law tribunal that the Supreme Court has since ruled unconstitutional (Axon v. FTC, Jarkesy v. SEC). Ethical Violations: DEA attorney Aarathi Haig remains on the case despite her lapsed bar standing, violating 28 U.S.C. § 530B (requiring federal attorneys to comply with state ethics rules). The Human Cost: Patients Left to Suffer While the DEA plays bureaucratic games: Huntington's Disease patients face a 10-20 year death sentence with no effective treatments. Multiple Sclerosis patients endure irreversible nerve damage while the DEA blocks potential therapies. Children with epilepsy are denied FDA-approved cannabis medicines, while contaminated street products flood the market unchecked. The Solution: Dismantle the DEA's Obstruction Machine Congress, the courts, and the White House must act now: Fire the Culprits: Prevoznik, Strait, Haig, Quintero, Cooke, and Rubins must be removed and investigated. Transfer Oversight: Cannabis research should be moved to the FDA or NIH, where science-not stigma-guides policy. End Unconstitutional Tribunals: The DEA's rigged Administrative Law Judge system must be dismantled per Supreme Court rulings . Terrance Cole's Moment of Truth (2025) New DEA Administrator Terrance Cole faces a choice: Continue the cover-up, protecting the corrupt officials who sabotaged medical research. Or clean house, approve MMJ's application, and end this national disgrace1015. America doesn't need more anti-science bureaucrats-it needs leaders who put patients over politics. The DEA's cannabis obstruction isn't just incompetence-it's institutional malpractice. MMJ is represented by attorney Megan Sheehan. CONTACT:Madison HiseyMHisey@ SOURCE: MMJ International Holdings View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
08-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Can Cannabis Stocks Reverse Their Prolonged Downtrend?
When Canada legalized recreational cannabis in 2018, many believed that the United States wouldn't be far behind. Optimism grew further when the 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp nationwide, fueling hopes that full federal marijuana reform was within reach. Based on this confidence, investors envisioned a booming North American market, with cannabis stocks poised to become one of the decade's hottest growth stories. Six years later, that early promise has faded. Instead of the boom investors envisioned, cannabis equities have endured one of the most disappointing stretches in modern market history. What Went Wrong? Following the 2018 reforms, Canada-based licensed producers raced to list on U.S. exchanges with a bid to expand their operations globally. When these companies were listed, investors poured billions into them, betting on swift legalization across the nation. The hemp legalization even helped establish that a multi-billion-dollar opportunity awaited marijuana companies in the United States. But those reforms never arrived. While marijuana is legal in many U.S. states, it is still illegal at the federal level. This forces producers to comply with a patchwork of state regulations, while enduring penalizing tax rules such as IRS Section 280E, which prevents cannabis businesses from deducting most operating expenses. Limited access to banking and capital markets has continued to force many operators to borrow debt at high interest rates, further squeezing margins in an increasingly competitive market. Lawmakers remain deeply divided when it comes to marijuana legalization. Recently, attempts were made to 'close the hemp loophole' by adding new restrictions to a House spending bill; they were subsequently removed after pushback from industry supporters. Though the newly appointed DEA Commissioner, Terrance Cole, has signaled a willingness to review marijuana's federal classification, the lack of a clear timeline keeps this sector stuck in limbo. Cannabis Stocks Under Pressure At the time of listing on U.S. stock exchanges, Canada-based pure-play cannabis operators like Tilray Brands TLRY and Canopy Growth Corporation CGC debuted with multi-billion-dollar valuations. Today, those shares are trading at a fraction of that value, weighed down by declining revenues and persistent losses. Even U.S.-based Green Thumb Industries GTBIF — one of the few pure-play cannabis companies still valued north of a billion dollars — faces the same structural challenges, despite posting a full-year profit in 2024. Some industry players have even shifted gears and pivoted to other areas. Tilray expanded its footprint in the craft beer and beverage alcohol segment, while Canopy Growth is focusing on health and wellness brands. Others are streamlining operations to survive until federal reform materializes. The underperformance of Green Thumb, Tilray and Canopy Growth is in line with the broader sector. The AdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF, widely seen as the benchmark for U.S. marijuana equities, has plunged 86% over the past five years, highlighting the prolonged and severe downturn in the industry. What Can Turn It Around? For cannabis stocks, the clearest catalyst remains U.S. federal reform. Descheduling or rescheduling marijuana could remove the tax burdens and improve banking access. This will likely attract the attention of institutional investors and open the U.S. stock exchange listings to more domestic operators. International markets like Europe and Australia are opening up, with early movers reporting record growth. These expanding opportunities, coupled with any shift in U.S. policy, could finally set the stage for a long-awaited rebound. Our Take Investors should exercise caution and closely monitor how the legislation evolves in the coming weeks. The outcome of this proposal won't just affect hemp-based revenues — it could reshape the broader trajectory of cannabis reform and legalization efforts across the United States. For those still interested in cannabis exposure but wary of the volatility offered by pure-play cannabis stocks, it may be worth looking into unconventional names like Harmony Biosciences HRMY and Corbus Pharmaceuticals CRBP, which are tapping into the cannabis space to develop novel cannabinoid (CBD) medicines for different indications. While HRMY is developing a pharmaceutically manufactured synthetic CBD gel for rare neuropsychiatric conditions, CRBP is developing its CBD candidate to treat obesity. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Corbus Pharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc. (CRBP) : Free Stock Analysis Report Canopy Growth Corporation (CGC) : Free Stock Analysis Report Tilray Brands, Inc. (TLRY) : Free Stock Analysis Report Harmony Biosciences Holdings, Inc. (HRMY) : Free Stock Analysis Report Green Thumb Industries Inc. (GTBIF) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research 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
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
DEA Accountability as Cannabis Research Crisis Deepens And Patients Suffer
With the confirmation of incoming DEA Administrator Terrance Cole, the opportunity for reform has arrived. The DEA must choose between outdated drug war politics and advancing public health. MMJ International Holdings Issues Clarification on Irvine Labs. WASHINGTON, DC / / August 1, 2025 / MMJ International Holdings, Inc. ("MMJ") today issued a public clarification regarding prior statements about Irvine Labs, Inc., while calling for an urgent reckoning with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) catastrophic mismanagement of America's cannabis research policy. In a previous press release, MMJ referenced widespread inactivity among DEA-registered marijuana manufacturers. While these statements were intended to highlight systemic failures within the DEA's quota and licensing system, MMJ acknowledges that this language may have unintentionally caused confusion regarding Irvine Labs, Inc. MMJ hereby clarifies that Irvine Labs, Inc. is a registered DEA entity and, to the best of MMJ's current knowledge, holds valid DEA registrations. MMJ did not intend to imply that Irvine Labs is inactive or insolvent, and any interpretation suggesting otherwise is hereby retracted. This clarification, however, does not alter the underlying crisis: the DEA's marijuana manufacturing quota system is fundamentally broken. Despite a supposed expansion of DEA licenses, no registrant-except MMJ-has produced sufficient pharmaceutical-grade cannabis to support a single FDA-compliant clinical trial. The Devastating Reality: Maridose (Maine): Only 1,100 sq. ft. of space, not growing. Bright Green Corp: Surrendered its registration without ever planting a crop. Royal Emerald Pharmaceuticals: Inactive and facing financial distress. Groff NA Hemplex & Scottsdale Research Institute: No active cultivation for clinical trials. BRC: Producing quantities far below clinical thresholds. University of Mississippi: Continues to grow substandard, research-incompatible marijuana. MMJ remains the only federally compliant entity actively pursuing the cultivation of strain-specific, pharmaceutical-grade cannabis for FDA-approved clinical trials targeting Huntington's Disease and Multiple Sclerosis. Yet, for over seven years, the DEA has obstructed MMJ's efforts through unconstitutional administrative proceedings, arbitrary quotas, and a bureaucratic "Catch-22" that demands documentation (BFSA) which is unattainable without the very registration the DEA refuses to grant. A Constitutional Crisis Exposed The Supreme Court's rulings in Axon v. FTC and Jarkesy v. SEC have now exposed the DEA's internal administrative law judge (ALJ) system as an unconstitutional charade. Despite this, DEA legal counsel Aarathi Haig continues to defend a system the Department of Justice has now abandoned. Former Chief ALJ John "McLooney" Mulrooney has since retired, leaving behind what critics call a "legal dumpster fire." MMJ's legal exceptions, filed July 3, 2025, detail the agency's structural bias, retroactive sabotage, and deliberate obstruction of medical research. "We followed every law, built the FDA-inspected facility, and secured our clinical approvals," said Duane Boise, CEO of MMJ International Holdings. "What the DEA calls regulation is nothing more than bureaucratic revenge." The Time for Reckoning is Now With the confirmation of incoming DEA Administrator Terrance Cole, the opportunity for reform has arrived. The DEA must choose between outdated drug war politics and advancing public health. This demands immediate action: Fire entrenched obstructionists like Thomas Prevoznik. Investigate Aarathi Haig for perpetuating unconstitutional legal processes. Transfer oversight of cannabis research to the FDA, where science-not sabotage-will guide policy. "The DEA has spent a decade fortifying a broken system that protects monopolies, obstructs innovation, and ignores public safety disasters like the Assured Testing Labs scandal in Massachusetts," said Boise. "America doesn't need another anti-marijuana crooner in a suit-it needs a leader who will stand up to this agency's sabotage and put patients first." MMJ International Holdings remains committed to factual accuracy and will continue to expose systemic failures that endanger patients, stifle science, and betray the public trust. MMJ is represented by attorney Megan Sheehan. CONTACT:Madison HiseyMHisey@ SOURCE: MMJ International Holdings View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Sign in to access your portfolio
