Terrance Cole's First Test as Administrator
MMJ BioPharma Cultivation's case exposes DEA's Diversion Control Division as a cartel of obstructionists who have abandoned science, betrayed public trust, and refused to follow the law.
New DEA Administrator Terrance Cole inherited a mess. But now he has a chance to do something Judge Mulrooney, Thomas Prevoznik, Matthew Straitand Aarathi Haig never would: Tell the truth. Follow the law. And approve MMJ's long-blocked registration so clinical trials can finally begin.
WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESS Newswire / July 30, 2025 / While the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) teases potential marijuana rescheduling, its actions reveal a disturbing pattern of hypocrisy: blocking federally compliant medical research while turning a blind eye to illegal corporate exports and harboring attorneys who flout ethical standards.
For companies like MMJ BioPharma Cultivation-which has meticulously followed federal law for seven years-the DEA's conduct suggests not bureaucratic inertia, but deliberate sabotage of scientific progress, underscored by ethical breaches within its own ranks.
The Haig Scandal: A DEA Attorney Operating Without Legal Standing
At the center of the storm is DEA attorney Aarathi Haig, who continues to lead high-profile cases, including the agency's fight against MMJ BioPharma Cultivation, despite being ineligible for a Certificate of Good Standing with the New Jersey Bar. Records show Haig:
Failed to pay mandatory fees to the Lawyers' Fund for Client Protection (designed to compensate victims of attorney misconduct).
Ignored Continuing Legal Education (CLE) requirements, essential for maintaining legal competency.
Let her enrollment lapse in New Jersey's IOLTA program, which safeguards client trust accounts.
Federal law (28 U.S.C. § 530B) mandates that government attorneys comply with state bar rules, yet the DEA has taken no apparent action against Haig. "This isn't about paperwork-it's about a pattern of disregard for the law," said Duane Boise, CEO of MMJ BioPharma. "The DEA demands compliance from others while ignoring its own obligations" .
MMJ BioPharma Cultivation's Ordeal: A Case Study in DEA Corrupt Obstruction
MMJ BioPharma's struggle exposes the DEA's double standard:
FDA-authorized research: Holds two Investigational New Drug (IND) applications for Huntington's Disease and Multiple Sclerosis, plus Orphan Drug Designation.
DEA-approved infrastructure: Operates a Schedule I-registered lab and a secure cultivation facility, passing rigorous inspections.
Unconstitutional delays: Blocked from bulk manufacturing by DEA Deputy Assistant Administrator Thomas Prevoznik, forced into administrative hearings the Supreme Court deemed unconstitutional (Axon v. FTC, Jarkesy v. SEC).
Meanwhile, the DEA ignores recreational cannabis companies illegally exporting THC products to Europe while stonewalling MMJ's compliant research.
The Bigger Picture: A System Rigged Against Science
The DEA's own Diversion Control Manual (Sections 5202.5, 5201.12) mandates support for "bona fide Schedule I research" and expedited approvals-policies Prevoznik and Haig have blatantly ignored. The agency's actions reveal:
Selective enforcement: Greenlighting corporate loopholes while crushing lawful research.
Constitutional violations: Defying Supreme Court rulings on ALJ hearings.
Public health betrayal: Stalling therapies for terminal patients as illicit markets thrive.
A Call for Accountability
With incoming DEA Administrator Terrance Cole poised to take office, advocates demand:
Immediate suspension of Haig and disciplinary action for Prevoznik.
Congressional hearings into DEA's ethical lapses and research obstruction.
Transfer of cannabis oversight to the FDA or NIH, where science-not stigma-guides policy.
"The DEA administrative hearing system is a constitutional dead man walking," Boise declared. "Every day it clings to this broken system, it digs its grave deeper"
The public deserves answers. The patients deserve justice. The time for DEA accountability is now.
CONTACT:
Madison Hisey
mhisey@mmjih.com
203-231-8583
SOURCE: MMJ International Holdings
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/healthcare-and-pharmaceutical/deas-marijuana-hypocrisy-laid-bare-as-rescheduling-looms-agencys-ethi-1054561
