President Donald Trump has officially named his pick to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)—selecting a decades-long agency veteran and top Virginia official who’s voiced concerns about the dangers of marijuana and linked its use to higher suicide risk among youth.
On Tuesday, Trump announced that he’s nominating Terrance Cole to serve as DEA administrator in place of Acting Administrator Derek Maltz.
Cole worked at DEA for 21 years and currently serves as Virginia’s secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security (PSHS), where part of his responsibility is to oversee the state Cannabis Control Authority (CCA).
After a visit to CCA’s office last year, Cole posted on LinkedIn: “Everybody knows my stance on marijuana after 30 plus years in law enforcement, so don’t even ask!”
For those who aren’t familiar with his position on the issue however, the post was accompanied by hashtags including #justsayno, #disorders, #notlegal4distribution, #healthissues, #thinblueline and #backtheblue.
Last February, he also shared a link to an article posed on a DEA website titled “NOT ‘Just Weed’: Four Times More Dangerous in Three Decades” that links high THC content in cannabis to “increased problems with memory and learning, distorted perception, difficulty in thinking and problem-solving, and loss of coordination.”
Spend enough time at parties or clubs? Please read this article from the @DEAHQ to learn the dangers of peer pressure and marijuana use: https://t.co/uuj0YcscXP
— Secretary Terrance Cole (@VA_PSHS) February 21, 2024
“Even more disturbingly, all too often, people are unaware that marijuana, especially when it contains more THC, is a risk factor for psychosis and schizophrenia, as well as the fact that it stunts brain growth, sometimes includes lead and mercury, and can alter male sperm DNA linked to autism,” the post says.
Also last February, Cole shared a study finding “higher suicide risks linked to marijuana and alcohol use in high school.”
Concerned about our youth? Recent study shows higher suicide risks linked to marijuana and alcohol use in high school.
To educate and support our youth, please read the full article here: https://t.co/XaALZQPfqZ
— Secretary Terrance Cole (@VA_PSHS) February 13, 2024
It doesn’t appear that Cole has publicly weighed in on the Biden administration-initiated marijuana rescheduling proposal, which was also endorsed by Trump on the campaign trail. If confirmed by the Senate, the official will inherit that administrative process.
In Virginia, Cole also served as an ex officio member of the state’s Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Board.
This story is developing and will be updated.
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Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.
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