By Booker Calls DEA Policy Ridiculous
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) is criticizing the Drug Enforcement Administration over a policy that could force a Mississippi medical marijuana dispensary owner to fire employees with past felony convictions if she wants to register for federal protections. Booker told Marijuana Moment in an interview that the DEA policy is “really problematic.”
“That’s an issue I’ve been fighting on for years. I think that’s ridiculous,” Booker told Marijuana Moment. He said people convicted of nonviolent crimes that are now legal should have their records expunged.
Booker has sponsored legislation to federally legalize cannabis with provisions aimed at repairing past harms of the war on drugs. He argued the policy conflicts with values of justice, fairness and economic growth.
“If you are a person that believes in justice, that believes in economic opportunity, fairness under the law if you believe in economic growth, if you’re a pro-growth person these are all things that help create jobs, build economy, keep people out of jail,” Booker told Marijuana Moment. “It’s just smart policy.”
The dispute centers on Wildflower Medical Dispensary in Mississippi, whose CEO, Nicole Huff, shared correspondence with Marijuana Moment last month that a DEA official sent about two of her workers with past felony convictions.
Dispensary Faces Difficult Choices
DEA regulations state that a registrant “shall not employ, as an agent or employee who has access to controlled substances, any person who has been convicted of a felony offense relating to controlled substances.” The agency does allow employers to submit waiver requests.
Huff told Marijuana Moment last month that she plans to take the issue before a DEA judge and request employment waivers on the workers’ behalf. She said she is prepared to travel to Washington, D.C., and appear in federal court.
Huff said she intends to ask the court to consider a grandfather provision for individuals employed before the DEA application was submitted. She said the two workers “have demonstrated their reliability through more than a year of successful employment.”
Huff also provided an update on recent conversations with DEA, saying the agency told her the affected workers could move to a non-plant-touching position while awaiting a waiver. She said creating an administrative position simply to keep someone employed is not financially practical for many cannabis companies.
Business Owners Seek Relief
Huff told Marijuana Moment that she appreciated Booker’s comments but said elected officials in Mississippi and other states urgently need to stand with licensed cannabis businesses and their employees. She asked officials to advocate for clear guidance, reasonable waiver timelines and practical employment options while applications are pending.
