Adam JacksonPresident Donald Trump has nominated Terrance C. Cole to serve as the next administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, replacing acting director Derek Maltz.
Cole, a longtime DEA veteran who currently serves as Virginia’s secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, has voiced strong opposition to marijuana legalization efforts, according to public social media posts.
In a February 2024 post on LinkedIn, Cole wrote, “Everybody knows my stance on marijuana after 30 plus years in law enforcement, so don’t even ask!” The post included hashtags such as #justsayno, #disorders, #notlegal4distribution and #healthissues.
Cole also shared an article on Facebook last year asserting that marijuana is “four times more dangerous” than it was three decades ago, based on increasing THC potency levels reported by the University of Mississippi’s Potency Monitoring Project. Another post on X (formerly Twitter) linked marijuana use among high school students to higher suicide risks.
The nomination comes weeks after the rescheduling process was temporarily stalled amid an interlocutory appeal granted by the agency’s chief administrative law judge.
It remains unclear whether the rescheduling effort will move forward under the new administration. Trump issued a regulatory freeze memo as soon as he came into office, instructing all executive departments and agencies not to issue any new rules.
However, Trump came out in support for rescheduling marijuana to Schedule III during his presidential campaign last year, saying, “As President, we will continue to focus on research to unlock the medical uses of marijuana to a Schedule 3 drug.”
Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers, Cresco Labs CEO Charlie Bachtell, and Curaleaf CEO Boris Jordan were among those who have been courting Trump to align with corporate marijuana interests, with Rivers and Bachtell even paying to attend Trump’s inauguration events last month, seeking to advance issues like marijuana rescheduling and banking access.
“We’ve already been in touch with his transition team to ensure that the new administration follows through on its commitments made to the industry,” Jordan told investors on an earnings call after the election.
Rivers also reportedly paid Trump a visit during his presidential campaign, though the Trulieve chief wouldn’t directly confirm with Green Market Report when asked at a media event days before the November vote, instead pointing out the significance of a Republican presidential candidate coming out in support of rescheduling cannabis.
Additionally, some industry insiders have been trying to keep their hopes up that Trump’s new U.S. Attorney General, Pam Bondi, could help shape a more favorable approach – though she has declined to answer how she would approach policy around the issue for now. The former Florida Attorney General who served as Trump’s lawyer during his first impeachment trial, worked for a firm that lobbied for folks like Trulieve in recent years.
Cole’s nomination has already drawn concern from marijuana policy reform advocates, given his past statements and record. Prior to his current role in Virginia, Cole served 21 years at the DEA, with postings in Colombia, Afghanistan and Mexico, according to the White House.
In a Truth Social post Tuesday, Trump praised Cole as someone who will “save lives, and MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN.”
The Senate must still confirm the nomination before Cole can assume the role of DEA administrator.
