Cannabis postponement was dealt a big punch now as it was confirmed that long-time cannabis skeptic and anti-drug veteran Derek S. Maltz has been appointed as acting executive of the DEA.
Just days after the rescheduling hearings were placed indefinitely on hold amid allegations that the DEA ( Drug Enforcement Administration ) was actively working to undermine the process, the administration confirmed that Maltz will act as ‘interim administrator ’ from January 21, 2025.
As Business of Cannabis reported earlier this year, the postponement venture now hinges more than ever on the opinions of the approaching command of the DEA, which has already been slammed by the prosecutor for its behavior in the process.
With Maltz confirmed, at least for now, Deborah Tharp who accurately predicted Maltz would be a pioneer for the position, believes that any cannabis-friendly postponing solution is dead now. ’
“If they reschedule it in this setting, it will be an effort by the government to take control of our state businesses, ” she added.
Maltz has previously expressed pessimism about national postponing work. In response to the Department of Justice’s 2024 effort to categorize hemp, he stated, “It’s crystal clear to me that the Justice Department hijacked the postponement approach, inserting politicians above public health. ”
He has also been an vocal opponent of cannabis legalization across the US, Blogging that ‘all careless politicians trying to get votes by allowing marijuana’ should know the ‘negative effects of tobacco this crap’.
This, he contends, includes class murders and ‘rushing to ERs’.
However, he has repeatedly raised concerns about foreign influences on unlawful cannabis operations in the US, suggesting that certain unusual entities aim to destabilize the country through drug proliferation.
Prior to this role, Maltz spent 28 years at the DEA, culminating in his position as the Special Agent in Charge of the Special Operations Division ( SOD ) from May 2005 through July 2014.
Despite Maltz’s clear distaste for cannabis, some have argued that the future of rescheduling will ultimately rest on President Trump’s shoulders.
