Latest news with #ThomasPrevoznik
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Health
- Associated Press
Massachusetts Cannabis Contamination Crisis Exposes Federal Negligence While DEA Targets Science, Not Safety
Where Is the DEA? The Real Threat Isn't Research-It's Rotten Weed. 'This is the height of hypocrisy, " said Duane Boise, CEO MMJ. " DEA bureaucrats are blocking clean cannabis grown in a DEA inspected cultivation facility, while contaminated products circulate freely under their watch. The agency has abandoned its duty to protect patients.' WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESS Newswire / August 7, 2025 / While the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission scrambles to contain a major public health scandal involving 544 contaminated marijuana samples, Thomas Prevoznik and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-the agency that claims to 'protect public health and safety from the dangers of drugs"-is nowhere to be found. According to a Public Health and Safety Advisory issued today by the Massachusetts Commission, contaminated and potentially contaminated marijuana products were sold throughout the state between April 1, 2024, and April 15, 2025. The issue? The products failed Total Yeast and Mold testing -a serious risk to patients and consumers, especially those who are immunocompromised. Yet this failure of regulatory oversight occurred right under DEA's nose, in a federally illegal marketplace they claim to police. So, we ask again: Where is the DEA? Moldy Marijuana, Real Harm Massachusetts authorities have confirmed that hundreds of samples tested positive for contaminants but were somehow allowed to enter commercial circulation. This isn't about labeling violations or clerical errors-it's about inhaled mold, a known trigger for respiratory infections, allergic reactions, and even long-term lung damage. The contaminated products were tracked using Metrc, a seed-to-sale traceability system required by law. The system worked. But what failed? Federal oversight, accountability, and DEA enforcement. DEA Targets Science, Not Safety While moldy weed was being sold to unsuspecting patients, what was the DEA doing? Let's be clear: the DEA is not protecting public health. It's obstructing it. The Real Threat Isn't Research-It's Rotten Weed The DEA's warped priorities are now a matter of public danger. Instead of helping to build a controlled, pharmaceutical-grade cannabis pipeline, the agency enables a fragmented, state-by-state chaos where contaminated products slip through the cracks and patients pay the price. Ironically, the same agency that refuses to allow MMJ to grow clean, pharmaceutical cannabis in a DEA inspected facility also looks the other way as moldy, hazardous marijuana circulates in retail dispensaries. MMJ BioPharma: Compliant, Blocked, and Ignored MMJ BioPharma has: And yet- after seven years -no federal approval. A Simple Question for Administrator Terry Cole Now that the Senate has confirmed Terry Cole as DEA Administrator, the public deserves an answer: Will you keep blocking clean, FDA-regulated cannabis research while patients unknowingly inhale moldy weed from state markets you refuse to regulate? The answer to that question will define not only your legacy-but whether the DEA finally chooses science over sabotage. Final Thoughts The DEA says it exists to fight drug abuse and protect public health. But in the face of real harm- contaminated marijuana entering legal markets -it's missing in action. It's time for a new era of leadership. One where medical science leads, and moldy lies die. The time for excuses is over. The time for action is now. MMJ is represented by attorney Megan Sheehan. CONTACT: Madison Hisey [email protected] 203-231-85832 SOURCE: MMJ International Holdings press release
NZ Herald
30-07-2025
- Health
- NZ Herald
FDA pushes to restrict synthetic opioid derived from kratom leaf
'We think it's night and day in terms of the public health risk,' Makary said of 7-OH products. The agency is recommending to the Drug Enforcement Administration that 7-OH be classified as Schedule I, a tier designated to have no medical value and high risk of abuse. That tier still includes marijuana, which federal officials under the Biden Administration sought to move to a less restrictive category. That issue remains undecided. The law enforcement agency will review the 7-OH recommendation 'expeditiously', DEA Deputy Assistant Administrator Thomas Prevoznik said. Federal health officials rolled out the campaign to stamp out 7-OH with the nation still in the throes of a drug crisis fuelled by illicit fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other synthetic compounds easily manufactured in clandestine labs. Overdose deaths have dropped dramatically during the past year but still topped a staggering 80,000 in 2024. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy jnr, who himself battled a heroin addiction decades ago, said that public health agencies have been 'asleep at the wheel' on previous crises of addiction in the US. The FDA's report presented scientific studies on 7-OH and advisories to consumers and doctors warning them of 'eye-catching' products sold as gummies, candies, and even ice-cream cones meant to appeal to young people. This month, the FDA said it had sent warning letters to seven companies regarding allegations that they illegally marketed 7-OH products as dietary supplements or unapproved drugs that touted relief from pain or anxiety. The scrutiny of 7-OH products adds another twist to the saga of kratom in the US. Amid the nation's drug crisis, kratom has become increasingly popular as users seek alternatives for pain or relief from opioid withdrawal symptoms. Smoke shops, service stations, convenience stores and online retailers across the US sell to devoted users who champion the health benefits of all-natural kratom products on social media. Speaking at the news conference today, kratom advocate Melody Woolf drew a distinction between the powdered kratom leaf she takes to ease her chronic pain and 7-OH products. Woolf said: '7-OH is not what helped me get out of bed and get the quality of life I enjoy'. Kratom acts as a mild stimulant when taken in small doses. Experts say that in higher doses, kratom's compounds can induce euphoria similar to opioids, though with less potency than many legal painkillers. One of kratom's many natural compounds is converted into the metabolite 7-OH, or 7-hydroxymitragynine, which produces an opioid-like effect in the brain. Though kratom contains trace amounts of the compound naturally, companies use semisynthetic 7-OH extracts to make an entirely new and potent product, said Christopher McCurdy, professor of medicinal chemistry at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy. 'This is essentially putting legal morphine at the gas station,' McCurdy said. Retailers have been slapped with wrongful-death lawsuits from families of people who died with kratom compounds in their blood, usually in conjunction with illicit drugs. In 2016, the Drug Enforcement Administration announced plans to classify kratom compounds as controlled substances but shelved the idea after a fierce backlash. More than a dozen states have passed laws regulating kratom, according to the American Kratom Association, a trade group representing the industry. The association casts companies selling 'enhanced' 7-OH products as bad actors that offer 'chemically manipulated' products – usually concentrated shots and tablets. The products distort the public's understanding of kratom and provide ammunition to critics who seek to ban plant products, said Mac Haddow, a spokesman and lobbyist for the association. 'We do not believe these products should be available over the counter,' Haddow said in an interview yesterday. An opposing trade association, the Holistic Alternative Recovery Trust, said the criticism is part of an 'intra-industry turf war' between companies losing market share and those making better products. 'Consumers find it more effective and safer,' Jeff Smith, the group's national policy director, said of such 7-OH products. Smith said the group supports measures such as warning labels, age restrictions and testing by third-party independent labs. But he criticised the FDA's proposals, saying officials presented no science to support the alleged dangers of 7-OH. He predicted a ban would push users to return to more dangerous substances and destroy responsible businesses. 'The public needs to speak up to prevent dramatic regulatory over-reach,' Smith said.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
DEA Cannabis Poisoned, Zero Oversight-Massachusetts Lab Scandal: A Case Study in DEA's Regulatory Collapse
Poisoned Cannabis, Zero DEA Oversight The DEA's mission statement is a sham under Thomas Prevoznik's watch. Americans are being poisoned by untested state cannabis operators while terminal patients are denied potential cures. WASHINGTON, D.C. / / July 6, 2025 / The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) exists to "prevent, detect, and investigate the diversion of controlled substances while ensuring an adequate and uninterrupted supply for legitimate medical, commercial, and scientific needs". Yet under the leadership of Deputy Administrator Thomas Prevoznik, the DEA's Diversion Control Division has catastrophically failed this mission. Instead of protecting public health, the agency has allowed contaminated cannabis to flood state markets-poisoning consumers-while simultaneously blocking federally compliant pharmaceutical research that could save lives. This is not just bureaucratic incompetence; it is systemic negligence bordering on malpractice. 1. DEA's Mission Failure: Poisoned Cannabis, Zero Oversight The Massachusetts Scandal: A Case Study in Regulatory Collapse In Massachusetts, Assured Testing Laboratories-a facility responsible for testing 25% of the state's cannabis-was caught falsifying safety reports, concealing contamination, and approving products that should have failed for yeast, mold, and microbial toxins. Thousands of tainted products reached consumers, yet the DEA: Took no enforcement action Issued no national recall Failed to intervene despite its mandate to prevent diversion and ensure safety. This is not an isolated incident. Across the U.S., unregulated cannabis markets operate like the "Wild West"-with no federal quality control, no uniform safety standards, and no accountability. The DEA, under Prevoznik, has abdicated its duty, leaving Americans exposed to dangerous products while offering no recourse. 2. Blocking Medical Breakthroughs: The DEA's War on Science While turning a blind eye to contaminated street cannabis, the DEA has actively obstructed federally approved pharmaceutical research. MMJ BioPharma, a company developing cannabis-based treatments for Huntington's Disease and Multiple Sclerosis, has faced seven years of bureaucratic sabotage despite: Holding FDA Investigational New Drug (IND) approvals Securing Orphan Drug Designation for Huntington's therapy Passing DEA security inspections. Yet, Prevoznik's division refuses to grant MMJ a bulk manufacturing license, citing a retroactive "Bona Fide Supply Agreement" (BFSA) requirement that creates an impossible Catch-22: No supplier will sign a contract without DEA approval. DEA won't approve without a signed contract. This obstruction is not just regulatory failure-it's deliberate stonewalling. As MMJ's legal filings reveal, DEA Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) operate in a structurally biased system, where registrants win only 20-25% of cases, and the DEA overturns nearly all pro-registrant rulings. 3. The Human Cost: Patients Suffer While Illicit Markets Thrive The DEA's hypocrisy is staggering: Patients with epilepsy, cancer, and neurological disorders are denied access to standardized, pharmaceutical-grade cannabis112. Meanwhile, unregulated THC products-laced with pesticides, mold, and heavy metals-flood the market, making consumers sick 15. Prevoznik's DEA has created the worst of both worlds:No protection for consumers from tainted pathway for research into life-saving medicines. 4. Time for Accountability: Fire Prevoznik, Overhaul the DEA The solution is clear: Remove Thomas Prevoznik for gross negligence and regulatory malpractice. Transfer cannabis oversight to the FDA/NIH, where science-not stigma-guides policy. Investigate DEA's Diversion Control Division for systemic bias and corruption. As MMJ BioPharma CEO Duane Boise stated: "The DEA's Diversion Control Division, under Prevoznik's leadership, has failed to protect the public, failed to uphold science, and failed to meet even the most basic standards of competence." Fire Thomas Prevoznik: A Call to Action The DEA's mission statement is a sham under Prevoznik's watch. Americans are being poisoned by untested cannabis while terminal patients are denied potential cures. Congress must intervene, the courts must act, and the public must demand accountability. Enough is enough. It's time to end the DEA's obstructionism and put public health over bureaucracy. MMJ is Represented by Attorney Megan Sheahan and Associates CONTACT:Madison Hiseymedia@ 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
Associated Press
06-07-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
DEA Cannabis Poisoned, Zero Oversight-Massachusetts Lab Scandal: A Case Study in DEA's Regulatory Collapse
Poisoned Cannabis, Zero DEA Oversight The DEA's mission statement is a sham under Thomas Prevoznik's watch. Americans are being poisoned by untested state cannabis operators while terminal patients are denied potential cures. WASHINGTON, D.C. / ACCESS Newswire / July 6, 2025 / The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) exists to 'prevent, detect, and investigate the diversion of controlled substances while ensuring an adequate and uninterrupted supply for legitimate medical, commercial, and scientific needs ". Yet under the leadership of Deputy Administrator Thomas Prevoznik, the DEA's Diversion Control Division has catastrophically failed this mission. Instead of protecting public health, the agency has allowed contaminated cannabis to flood state markets-poisoning consumers-while simultaneously blocking federally compliant pharmaceutical research that could save lives. This is not just bureaucratic incompetence; it is systemic negligence bordering on malpractice. 1. DEA's Mission Failure: Poisoned Cannabis, Zero Oversight The Massachusetts Scandal: A Case Study in Regulatory Collapse In Massachusetts, Assured Testing Laboratories-a facility responsible for testing 25% of the state's cannabis-was caught falsifying safety reports, concealing contamination, and approving products that should have failed for yeast, mold, and microbial toxins. Thousands of tainted products reached consumers, yet the DEA: This is not an isolated incident. Across the U.S., unregulated cannabis markets operate like the 'Wild West"-with no federal quality control, no uniform safety standards, and no accountability. The DEA, under Prevoznik, has abdicated its duty, leaving Americans exposed to dangerous products while offering no recourse. 2. Blocking Medical Breakthroughs: The DEA's War on Science While turning a blind eye to contaminated street cannabis, the DEA has actively obstructed federally approved pharmaceutical research. MMJ BioPharma, a company developing cannabis-based treatments for Huntington's Disease and Multiple Sclerosis, has faced seven years of bureaucratic sabotage despite: Yet, Prevoznik's division refuses to grant MMJ a bulk manufacturing license, citing a retroactive 'Bona Fide Supply Agreement' (BFSA) requirement that creates an impossible Catch-22: This obstruction is not just regulatory failure-it's deliberate stonewalling. As MMJ's legal filings reveal, DEA Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) operate in a structurally biased system, where registrants win only 20-25% of cases, and the DEA overturns nearly all pro-registrant rulings. 3. The Human Cost: Patients Suffer While Illicit Markets Thrive The DEA's hypocrisy is staggering: Prevoznik's DEA has created the worst of both worlds: No protection for consumers from tainted products. No pathway for research into life-saving medicines. 4. Time for Accountability: Fire Prevoznik, Overhaul the DEA The solution is clear: As MMJ BioPharma CEO Duane Boise stated: 'The DEA's Diversion Control Division, under Prevoznik's leadership, has failed to protect the public, failed to uphold science, and failed to meet even the most basic standards of competence.' Fire Thomas Prevoznik: A Call to Action The DEA's mission statement is a sham under Prevoznik's watch. Americans are being poisoned by untested cannabis while terminal patients are denied potential cures. Congress must intervene, the courts must act, and the public must demand accountability. Enough is enough. It's time to end the DEA's obstructionism and put public health over bureaucracy. MMJ is Represented by Attorney Megan Sheahan and Associates CONTACT: Madison Hisey [email protected] 203-231-8583 SOURCE: MMJ International Holdings press release
Associated Press
04-07-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
DEA's Thomas Prevoznik Fails Again: Cannabis Users Poisoned While Pharmaceutical Cannabis Remains Blocked
While the DEA's Thomas Prevoznik Turned a Blind Eye, American Cannabis Users Were Poisoned: How the DEA Regulatory Failure and Inaction Enabled a Public Health Crisis. WASHINGTON, D.C. / ACCESS Newswire / July 4, 2025 / The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is asleep at the wheel - or worse, willfully negligent - as contaminated cannabis floods state markets, consumers are poisoned, and legitimate pharmaceutical research is actively blocked by the very agency tasked with protecting public health. At the center of this national disgrace is DEA's Deputy Administrator Thomas Prevoznik, the long-time bureaucrat at the helm of the DEA's Diversion Control Division. While Prevoznik parades around on taxpayer-funded panels pretending to safeguard public safety, the truth is undeniable: the DEA has utterly failed its mission. As stated on the DEA website: 'The mission of DEA's Diversion Control Division is to prevent, detect, and investigate the diversion of controlled pharmaceuticals and listed chemicals from legitimate sources while ensuring an adequate and uninterrupted supply for legitimate medical, commercial, and scientific needs'. State Cannabis Chaos Exposes DEA Incompetence The latest scandal comes out of Massachusetts, where state regulators just suspended the license of Assured Testing Laboratories -one of the largest cannabis labs in the state-after uncovering what they describe as an 'intentional effort to conceal' failing safety results on cannabis products. The lab, which tested 25% of all cannabis in the state, was caught falsifying reports, hiding contamination, and greenlighting dangerous products that should have failed mandatory yeast, mold, and microbial standards. Thousands of cannabis products were put into consumer hands without accurate safety testing. Yet not a word from the DEA. Not a single enforcement action. No national recall. No intervention. The DEA's Mission: Betrayed from Within The DEA's own mission is crystal clear: 'To prevent, detect, and investigate the diversion of controlled substances while ensuring an adequate and uninterrupted supply for legitimate medical, commercial, and scientific needs.' Under Prevoznik's failed leadership, that mission has become a farce. Why Is Prevoznik Blocking Science While Allowing Poison? The hypocrisy is staggering: It's the worst of both worlds: The public is unprotected and medical innovation is obstructed. The Human Cost of Prevoznik's Failures This is not regulation. This is dereliction of duty. Time for Accountability: Fire Prevoznik, Reform DEA The solution is clear: Thomas Prevoznik must be immediately removed from his position for gross negligence and regulatory malpractice. The DEA's obstruction of pharmaceutical cannabis research must end. Oversight of cannabis research should be transferred to agencies that understand science-such as the FDA or NIH. Congress must investigate how the DEA has allowed the national cannabis market to devolve into chaos while blocking life-saving medicines from reaching patients. 'The DEA's Diversion Control Division, under Prevoznik's leadership, has failed to protect the public, failed to uphold science, and failed to meet even the most basic standards of competence,' said Duane Boise, CEO of MMJ BioPharma Cultivation . 'It's time for the DEA to be held accountable for decades of failure.' The American People Deserve Better The DEA exists to serve and protect the public, not to act as a political roadblock while Americans are poisoned and scientific progress is stalled. Prevoznik failed. The DEA failed. It's time for Congress, the courts, and the public to take back control. MMJ is represented by attorney Megan Sheehan. CONTACT: Madison Hisey [email protected] 203-231-8583 SOURCE: MMJ International Holdings press release
