Vol. 1, Ed. 72 — Sat Oct 24: DEA registration staffing rules draw Senate criticism

DEA's Schedule III registration rules force staffing choices at marijuana retailers; Oklahoma's top cannabis regulator steps down; Minnesota opens a $10.9 million grant round. For general information only — not legal advice.

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This is the New Realm Compliance Brief, Volume one, Edition seventy-two, for Saturday, October twenty-fourth.

It was a quiet Friday on the regulatory calendar, so today's edition is a lighter one.

Our top story: the Drug Enforcement Administration's registration process for marijuana retailers is drawing criticism over its employment rules. Under the process that followed the April move of state-licensed medical marijuana products to Schedule three, D E A rules bar registrants from employing anyone with access to controlled substances who has a felony conviction related to controlled substances. A Mississippi dispensary owner, Nicole Huff of Wildflower Medical Dispensary, shared agency correspondence giving her four options: dismiss the affected employees, withdraw her application, give up expedited processing and seek an employment waiver, or go before an administrative law judge. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey said the policy is, quote, really problematic, and said records for nonviolent offenses that are now legal conduct should be expunged. The agency does allow employment waivers, but has not published a timeline for deciding them.

Around the states: In Oklahoma, Adria Berry is stepping down as executive director of the state's Medical Marijuana Authority after five years. Governor Kevin Stitt named James Yingling, the agency's deputy chief of compliance and enforcement, as interim director. A permanent chief will be chosen by the next governor.

And in Minnesota, the Office of Cannabis Management opened a ten point nine million dollar round of Can Renew community restoration grants on October twenty-second. Businesses, nonprofits, tribes and local governments can apply through December fifteenth, with awards from fifty thousand to two million dollars.

On the radar: T T B's online filing systems go down for maintenance Wednesday evening, October twenty-eighth. Final D E A rescheduling briefs are due October twenty-ninth and November fifth. And the federal hemp limit of zero point four milligrams of total T H C per container takes effect December eleventh.

Full details and source links are in today's email. This update is for general information only — it is not legal advice.