Welcome cannabis cohorts and Happy Friday! Maureen Meehan and Javier Hasse here to wrap up the week, albeit a short one though lots has happened, as in there’s a whole new ballgame going on in the Oval Office.

President Trump hit the ground running with his pen in hand as he signed numerous executive orders and made more appointments. One that our team found especially discouraging was the appointment of Derek Maltz as acting administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

The appointment, which needs Congressional approval, places Waltz smack in the middle of a rather contentious debate over cannabis rescheduling, which is on hold due to naughty behavior on the part of the DEA. Last week an Administrative Law Judge, citing ‘disturbing’ allegations of improper conduct, paused the cannabis rescheduling hearings for three months.

Maltz, a 27-year DEA veteran who formerly led the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, is reportedly one tough cookie. He has made crystal clear his disdain for cannabis legalization, referring to marijuana as a gateway drug that causes addiction and even psychosis. He once went so far as to link cannabis to school shootings.

We’ll be watching closely to see if Maltz is approved for the top DEA position as the cannabis rescheduling process hangs in the balance.

In today's issue:

• A DEA Story With A Happy Ending

• Another Legal Victory

• Weekend Weed Reads

A DEA Story With A Happy Ending

Nick Avé, general manager at the cannabis seeds company Zamnesia, told Javier Hasse that if it were not for the DEA declaring cannabis seeds federally legal, his life would be quite different. "Ever since the DEA clarified that cannabis seeds are federally legal, we knew it was time to come to the U.S." Hasse noted that for the pioneering European smart shop, this decision marked a significant milestone in its evolution from a European online store into a powerhouse of natural wellness products.

Another Legal Victory

Josh Kesselman, founder of RAW and creator of its iconic rolling papers, told Javier Hasse about how the company celebrated a recent $8.7 million legal victory against counterfeiters: by printing the court verdict on rolling paper and rolling a giant joint. "We rolled it up and smoked the lawsuit, literally," Kesselman said.

Weekend Weed Reads

• RAW Founder Celebrates $8.7M Legal Victory In A Very Peculiar Way: 'We Rolled It Up And Smoked The Lawsuit, Literally'

• Purdue Pharma, Sackler Family To Pay $7.4 Billion In Settlement Over OxyContin That Fueled 'Devastating' Opioid Epidemic

• Trump Appoints DEA Chief Who Will Bring 'Ruthless Narco-Terrorists To Justice,' Not Keen On Legalizing Cannabis

• 'The DEA Ruling Was A Game-Changer': Why This European Cannabis Giant Is Betting On The American Seeds Market

• Whoopi Goldberg Talks Cannabis: The Planet's 'Greatest Medicine... Pain Reliever And Source Of Joy'

• Trump's Cannabis Reform: Mike Tyson, Weldon Angelos Say President Can Get It Done

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