All articles tagged with #dea
A fourth person has been killed in connection with the Trump-initiated Memphis Safe Task Force during a DEA operation, with authorities saying the suspect at a Poplar Avenue motel pointed a handgun after commands and officers fired; the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating, and the earlier three deaths occurred within two months in relation to the task force.
The DEA plans to temporarily place 7-OH, an opioid-like component of kratom, in Schedule I for two years (potentially extending to a third) for products above a certain threshold. Supporters say the move protects public health by curbing dependence and abuse, while critics question the science and warn it could hurt consumers who rely on kratom; the policy is framed as a win for the mainstream kratom industry amid political and lobbying dynamics.
Opening day of a cannabis rescheduling hearing features DEA and FDA arguing that marijuana has medical benefits and lower day-to-day harms than alcohol or opioids, supporting moving it from Schedule I to Schedule III. Testimony describes real-world pain management benefits and relatively mild withdrawal, while opponents criticize the analysis and allege shifting precedent. The process continues through July 15 amid lawsuits and broader regulatory implications, including tax guidance, workplace rules, and updates to related federal forms and enforcement.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez has opened a criminal probe into the DEA’s handling of fentanyl shipments, seeking to determine whether federal actions contributed to fentanyl reaching streets. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham welcomed the review, and the DOJ said it would partner with state and local leaders to confront the fentanyl crisis, a move that sparked outrage among some officials while drawing support from overdose-family advocates cautioning that enforcement remains essential.
AP’s investigation shows a DEA strategy that prioritized large drug-network seizures, with reports of fentanyl shipments going unseized in New Mexico, including a 2023 event surveilling 74,000 pills. New Mexico’s overdose deaths rose 21% last year. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is calling for a federal investigation and accountability, arguing lives in the state were at risk. DEA whistleblower David Howell and Empower Oversight are urging Senate and DOJ oversight, while victims’ groups criticize the agency’s approach amid public-health warnings that 'one pill can kill.'
The DEA told SAM it will not identify Luli Akinfiresoye, a DEA pharmacologist, as a witness for SAM’s case in the upcoming hearing on moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, citing Touhy regulations and potential Privacy Act protections. SAM had sought to question the official about cannabis harms, but the DEA says any testimony would require a formal Touhy request and could be shielded. The hearing, overseen by Administrative Law Judge Derek Julis, runs June 29 to July 15 and has drawn complaints over access, including a push to livestream, which the judge previously barred; multiple lawsuits challenge the process as the government defends the scheduling move that could unlock federal benefits for state-legal cannabis businesses.
Last year the DEA reported its largest fentanyl seizure in Albuquerque and defended the investigations as lawful and targeted at major trafficking networks, countering claims that agency actions allowed fentanyl onto streets; officials say the operations were necessary to save lives.
A DEA judge issued a 12-page order detailing the ground rules for a hearing on moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, set to run June 29–July 15 at a DEA facility in Arlington, VA. Only designated opponents of cannabis reform are invited to participate; reform supporters were not. Each party will have a 15-minute opening, may call up to two witnesses, and face limited cross-examination, with post-hearing briefs due later. The proceeding is separate from the Biden-era action on medical cannabis and, if rescheduling occurs, could affect federal taxes, gun forms, and other regulations amid ongoing lawsuits challenging the effort.
DEA’s hearing on moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III will run June 29–July 15, but invitees are limited to opponents of rescheduling, excluding supporters. The proceedings come amid multiple lawsuits and could unlock federal tax deductions, update gun-purchase forms, and expand protections for state-licensed medical cannabis if the rule is enacted.
The DEA has begun on-site inspections of medical marijuana dispensaries that filed registration to receive federal protections under the Trump-era cannabis rescheduling move. In Mississippi, two operators were visited by 5–6 agents for about six hours each, with investigations focusing on a broad range of records and processes, from ownership and licensing to inventory, security, and patient intake procedures. The registrations aim to move medical cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III, enabling tax deductions under 280E, and the DEA plans to roll out new forms for other state-licensed medical marijuana businesses. Tax guidance from the IRS and related regulatory updates (ATF gun form changes, CRS analysis) are also anticipated, as hearings on broader rescheduling approach proceed.
First responders arriving at a Mountainair, NM home to investigate a possible overdose were exposed to fentanyl after discovering four unconscious people; two died at the scene and a third died after transport to the hospital, with the fourth surviving after Narcan. More than a dozen responders were quarantined due to exposure, and DEA lab analysis confirmed the presence of fentanyl, methamphetamine and para-fluorofentanyl at the scene. In total, 25 people were exposed. The investigation continues, with no immediate signs the drugs were manufactured at the home, and five dogs were quarantined.
DEA says it will roll out new registration forms for Medical Marijuana Manufacturer, Bulk Manufacturer, Analytical Lab, and Distributor to align with the DOJ’s phased move of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III. The current 60-day dispensary registration window ends June 26, and the new forms will be posted in coming weeks on the DEA Diversion Registration page. The applications will require details on licenses, security measures, ownership, suppliers, and access to controlled substances, and carry a nonrefundable $794 fee (PayPal now; other payment options to be added). The update is part of broader rescheduling actions, which include an expedited hearing process starting June 29; IRS guidance on taxes and ATF form updates are also anticipated as federal policy shifts on cannabis.
Eighteen defendants were arrested in a federal crackdown targeting MacArthur Park's open-air drug market, with authorities charging 25 people overall in a distribution scheme tied to the 18th Street Gang and others. About 18 kilograms of fentanyl were seized at a Calabasas stash location, and several suspects remain fugitives as the operation—led by the DEA with LAPD support—seeks to reclaim the park and surrounding area from trafficking, with potential federal prison terms up to life for the key figures.
Opponents SAM and the NDASA filed a DC Circuit lawsuit to overturn the DOJ’s cannabis rescheduling from Schedule I to III, arguing the action violates the Administrative Procedure Act and the CSA; the petition names the DOJ, the DEA, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, and DEA Administrator Terrance Cole, with Barr-linked Torridon Law representing the plaintiffs, as a broader administrative hearing on rescheduling looms. The filing comes amid ongoing political pushback and a House panel’s moves to block further federal steps on cannabis policy.
Recap of Euphoria season 3, episode 4: Cassie levels up with a Hollywood makeover and an OnlyFans boost to cover Nate’s $1 million debt, while Rue endures a tense DEA interrogation and contemplates turning in Laurie and Alamo; a twist has Rue identify Faye as Laurie’s getaway driver, and Lexi enlists Jules to paint a risqué backdrop for her show as the episode’s chaotic energy unfolds.