Robert Aderholt opposes rescheduling of marijuana
Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-AL04) was one of 14 Republican members of Congress to join in a letter to U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration chief Anne Milgram expressing their opposition to federal rescheduling of marijuana. While the State of Alabama is in the process of issuing licenses to farmers to grow marijuana and for doctors to recommend it to their patients, it remains a Schedule 1 narcotic with no medicinal value, according to the federal government. There is momentum to change that. The Biden Administration’s Department of Health and Human Services has released a letter urging that marijuana be federally rescheduled, a move that Aderholt opposes. Aderholt said that he opposes the move even if it is politically popular. “I am proud to join @PeteSessions and @SenatorLankford in a letter to Administrator Milgram. As Chairman of the Approps Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, I share the concern that our nation’s drug policies should not be set based on popular opinion.” Eight Republican U.S. Senators and six Republican members of the House of Representatives declared the Department of Health and Human Services’ August 29 recommendation to move marijuana from Schedule 1 to Schedule 3 of the Controlled Substances Act part of an “irresponsible” “pro-pot agenda.” They urged that marijuana remain listed among the most dangerous drugs. The letter was sent to Milgram because the decision is now up to her and federal attorneys to consider relevant questions of law and policy in a review of the recommendation by Health and Human Services (HSS). Chey Garrigan is the founder and CEO of the Alabama Cannabis Industry Association. Garrigan said that marijuana does have documented health benefits and maintains that there are Alabamians who would benefit from medical marijuana. “Congressman Robert Aderholt can have an opinion,” Garrigan said. “Where is the data that backs up why he is against it?” “Any effort to reschedule marijuana should be based on proven facts and science – not popular opinion, changes in state laws, or the preferred policy of an administration,” the Republicans, led by Republican Sen. James Lankford (R-Oklahoma) and Representative Pete Sessions (R-Texas) wrote in the September 11 letter to the DEA. “Current research, science, and trends support the case that marijuana should remain a Schedule 1 drug.” Lankford, Aderholt, and Sessions were joined by Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Sen. Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma), Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho), Sen. M. Michael Rounds (R-South Dakota), Rep. Earl “Buddy” Carter (R-Georgia), Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Arizona), Rep. Chuck Edwards (North Carolina), and Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Kentucky). Even though Oklahoma has over 7,000 marijuana farms and businesses, Lankford argued in a recent column that marijuana has not befitted Oklahomans. “Drug cartels—from not just south of the border, but also Asia—are now deeply ingrained across Oklahoma, operating grow facilities that ship marijuana across the country,” Lankford wrote. “Oklahomans often now wake up to read the news about the latest execution-style murder, human trafficking, or prostitution at a grow facility in rural Oklahoma. In January 2023, the Tulsa World reported that about 2,000 licenses for medical marijuana were being investigated because they were suspected of having been either obtained unlawfully or were covering up an operation to sell on the black market. Oklahoma is now the top source for black market marijuana in the nation. So much for the argument that widening legal access to a drug gets rid of the illicit market.” President Joe Biden launched the first federal administrative review of marijuana’s legal status last October, calling current federal policy a “failed approach.” To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Florida law enforcement shuts down fentanyl, xylazine trafficking ring
Florida law enforcement officers and Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution have shut down a trafficking ring in the Orlando area. The group is responsible for pushing large quantities of narcotics, including fentanyl laced with xylazine, into the area. Moody’s prosecution team is scheduled to prosecute 12 people on drug trafficking charges who are accused of trafficking cocaine, fentanyl, xylazine, and amphetamine in the Orlando area. In April, Moody launched a public safety alert warning about the dangers of Xylazine, an animal tranquilizer, referred to as “Tranq” on the streets. Tranq has been found to be laced in fentanyl and other drugs that have led to overdoses and deaths. In two years, the frequency with which the drug has been identified in FDLE crime labs has doubled, The Center Square previously reported. “I have been warning about the presence and proliferation of the zombie drug xylazine being mixed with already deadly fentanyl for months now,” Moody said. “This extremely dangerous and flesh-eating drug is outlawed in Florida, and we will aggressively prosecute any criminal organization trafficking this poison across judicial circuits in our state. I am grateful for our dedicated law enforcement partners for shutting down this ring and cutting off this lethal supply chain.” Moody’s office is prosecuting individuals arrested by Florida law enforcement officers. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation after it received information from various informants about a drug trafficking organization operating throughout the Oak Ridge area of Orange County. Members of the sheriff’s narcotics unit conducted multiple controlled purchases from several members of the alleged trafficking group of fentanyl laced with xylazine, and cocaine. Their investigation also uncovered that the drugs were being transported to Florida from a supplier in New Jersey. The Florida Highway Patrol then began to intercept members of the group in Volusia County. In one stop, they seized over 400 grams of fentanyl and xylazine in the trunk of a vehicle. Throughout the multi-agency investigation, the alleged drug traffickers “committed several other crimes, including conspiracy to traffic fentanyl greater than 28 grams, trafficking amphetamine greater than 28 grams, money laundering, multiple sales and deliveries, conspiracies to sell and deliver,” according to a statement from Moody’s office. Twelve people were arrested, a majority of whom are men. They were charged with a combined 52 felony counts ranging from money laundering and possession of cocaine to conspiracy to traffic fentanyl, which carries a 25-year mandatory minimum prison sentence. Moody’s Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Ashley Wright is prosecuting the cases. Moody and Florida law enforcement officials are still warning about the dangers of fentanyl, xylazine, and other illicit drugs. Xylazine is now the sixth-most identifiable illicit drug in Florida, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Moody also sent a letter to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram calling on her to add Xylazine to the list of controlled substances. Xylazine is already a Schedule I substance in Florida. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Cost of over-the-counter Narcan could be barrier to use
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s decision to give an opioid overdose antidote over-the-counter status could help as illicit fentanyl floods of the nation’s illegal drug market, but how helpful it will be could depend on how much it will cost. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s decision means sales of Narcan nasal spray would soon be allowed at pharmacies, grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations, and online. Narcan, a naloxone product, is a medication that rapidly reverses the effects of opioid overdose. Naloxone is the standard treatment for an opioid overdose. Emergent BioSolutions Inc., which makes Narcan, said that the nasal spray will be available on U.S. shelves and at online retailers by the late summer. The company said it will have to account for “manufacturing changes that will be implemented to support nonprescription packaging” and “supply chain modifications.” It has not yet said how much the drug will cost. FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said in a statement that the agency was encouraging Emergent BioSolutions to make access to the product at an affordable price a priority. How much it will cost could determine how effective it is at reducing overdose deaths, said Evan Peet, an economist at the RAND Corporation. While making the drug available without a prescription could help reduce one barrier to access, price could be another barrier, especially for addicts. The FDA decision is “likely good for some groups, bad for others, and still uncertain for some,” Peet said. Making Narcan available without a prescription could increase costs for people with insurance, particularly those with Medicaid, the government program that provides health coverage to low-income people. “Typically, if something is available over-the-counter, then it is not covered by insurance,” Peet said. People with private insurance typically pay $10 to $30 for naloxone, while those with Medicaid or Medicare pay even less, about $2 to $3 for naloxone. For those without insurance, the current price is much higher, about $250 on average, according to the most recent estimates available from 2018. Groups have forecasted the estimated over-the-counter price for the drug will range from $35 to $65. Emergent BioSolutions did not respond to requests about pricing information or when such information would be available. “Disproportionately, people with opioid use disorder are uninsured,” Peet said. “And so maybe [over-the-counter] is going to be a net benefit because those people are potentially the most vulnerable. But also, people with Medicaid have lower income and are more price sensitive, so it may be particularly negative for that group.” Illicit fentanyl, which is more potent than heroin and some other opioids, poses additional challenges. “Fentanyl is really driving the bus now,” Peet said. Because of its potency, fentanyl overdoses may require more than one dose of Narcan. Adulterants, such as the veterinary tranquilizer xylazine, pose additional challenges. Earlier this month, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration issued a warning about a sharp increase in trafficking of fentanyl mixed with xylazine. The federal agency said xylazine and fentanyl mixtures had been seized in 48 of 50 states. It also noted that the DEA Laboratory System reported that in 2022 about 23% of fentanyl powder and 7% of fentanyl pills seized by the DEA contained xylazine. “Xylazine is making the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, fentanyl, even deadlier,” DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said in a statement. U.S. officials reported 107,735 overdose deaths between August 2021 and August 2022 from drug poisonings, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 66% of those deaths involved synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Senators call on Mexico, China to do more to stop illicit fentanyl trafficking
The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee wants Mexico and countries that supply the precursor chemicals for making cheap and potent fentanyl to be held accountable and do more to stop illicit trafficking as deaths from the drug continue to surge in the United States. Chairman U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., said more needs to be done both within the U.S. and abroad. “I’m urging the Biden administration to take additional steps to confront the fentanyl epidemic,” he said. ” … It’s time for the United States to build a multi-lateral coalition to hold China accountable for failure to meet its international obligation to stop illicit drug trafficking.” Menendez said China needs to immediately implement Know-Your-Customer standards to protect against fraud, corruption, and money laundering or face sanctions. At home, he said the U.S. needs more high-tech screening at the borders to disrupt open fentanyl sales on social media and to improve access to treatment for those with substance use disorders. U.S. Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, said more than 100,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2021. He said fentanyl was responsible for nearly 70% of those deaths. Addressing the issue will require “very effective international cooperation,” he said. “Another way to stem this crisis is to identify and cut off the pipelines,” he said. Those pipelines include precursor chemicals from China that Mexican cartels use to make fentanyl, which is then smuggled into the U.S., Risch said. “The same cartels are profiting from and prolonging the illegal migration crisis caused by the Biden administration’s weak enforcement of border security and immigration controls,” he said. More than 46 million Americans have substance use disorders, said Dr. Rahul Gupta, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. “America is facing the worst drug crisis we’ve ever seen,” he said. “It is tearing the very fabric of our nation. It presents a direct and surging threat to public health.” Anne Milgram, administrator for the Drug Enforcement Administration, said the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel are responsible for the majority of the illicit fentanyl that enters the United States. She said the two cartels buy precursor chemicals from China, which they use to make fentanyl powder. That powder is then pressed into fake prescription pills, Milgram said. “It is the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced,” she said. The Mexican Army this week announced that it seized a fentanyl pill manufacturing center and the laboratory with the largest methamphetamine production capacity in Culiacán, Sinaloa. The army found about 282 pounds of possible granulated fentanyl, 629,138 pills of probable fentanyl, 220 pounds of possible methamphetamine, other chemicals, and 28 organic synthesis reactors. “Due to the number of reactors, the laboratory is the one with the largest synthetic drug production capacity that has been recorded historically and during the present administration,” Mexico’s Secretary of National Defense said in a news release. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Barry Moore appointed to House Judiciary Committee
Congressman Barry Moore was appointed to the House Judiciary Committee. Moore said that it was an “honor” to be appointed to serve on the “prestigious” committee. “It is a great and humbling honor to be appointed to serve on the prestigious House Judiciary Committee and serve alongside my friend and our chairman, Jim Jordan, to defend our foundational American freedoms,” said Rep. Moore. “The Judiciary Committee will be the tip of the spear this Congress fighting to ensure that the American people’s government works to protect their civil liberties, not undermine them to advance a political agenda. With President Biden in the White House, we have a big task ahead, but I’m ready to get to work.” Congressman Jordan is the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. “We’re excited to welcome all new and returning members of the House Judiciary Committee to the 118th Congress,” Chairman Jordan said in a statement. “House Judiciary Republicans are ready to get to work on the important issues facing the American people by passing legislation that will secure the southern border, investigating the weaponization of the federal government against the American people, and reining in Big Tech’s censorship of free speech.” Chairman Jordan sent letters on Tuesday to White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain, Attorney General Merrick Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, ATF Director Steve Dettelbach, and DEA Administrator Anne Milgram renewing outstanding requests for communications and documents. Jordan claimed that for two years, the Biden Administration has stonewalled Congress, refused to comply with basic document requests and avoided transparency and accountability for its failures. Jordan said that House Judiciary Republicans are committed to holding each agency accountable under the new majority and will use compulsory processes, if necessary, to get answers for the American people. “Since the beginning of the Biden Administration, we have made several requests for information and documents concerning the operations and actions of the Department of Homeland Security,” Jordan wrote in the letter to Mayorkas. “These requests remain outstanding. As we begin the 118th Congress, we write again to reiterate our outstanding requests and ask that you immediately comply in full.” Mayorkas faces heavy criticism from House Republicans for his handling of the southern border situation and the documented chaos there. “Mayorkas swore an oath to “well and faithfully discharge the duties of [his] office.” Look at the border and the terrible numbers on his watch,” Moore said on social media. “Can anyone make the argument he is discharging the duties of his office well? He has to go, and if Biden won’t hold him accountable, House Republicans must.” Moore was just re-elected to his second term representing Alabama’s Second Congressional District. Moore previously served in the Alabama House of Representatives from 2010 to 2018. He was elected to Congress in 2020, after his second run for office. Moore is a veteran. He owns a garbage collection business in Enterprise. He is a graduate of Auburn University. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
DEA issues public safety alert lethal fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has issued another public safety alert warning Americans of a “sharp nationwide increase in the lethality of fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills.” Six of 10 fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills its experts analyzed in 2022 contained a potentially lethal dose, the DEA says, an increase from 4 out of 10 pills tested last year. “More than half of the fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills being trafficked in communities across the country now contain a potentially deadly dose of fentanyl,” DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said. “This marks a dramatic increase – from four out of ten to six out of ten – in the number of pills that can kill. “These pills are being mass-produced by the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco Cartel, in Mexico,” she said, referring to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (JNGC), a deadly rival of the Sinaloa. For the past two years, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has said, “the cartels have been emboldened by Biden administration’s open border policies that are killing Americans.” In March 2021, Abbott launched Operation Lone Star to interdict Mexican cartel-linked criminal activity coming through the southern border. He also recently designated the Sinaloa and JCNG cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and called on President Joe Biden to do the same. Abbott hasn’t heard back. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody and 17 attorneys general also called on Biden to classify illicit fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction. They also haven’t received a reply. The DEA’s public safety alert comes after Texas’ OLS officers have seized over 352 million lethal doses of fentanyl since last March, enough to kill everyone in the U.S. It also comes after Florida law enforcement officers in the last few months seized enough fentanyl to kill everyone in Florida. That was after they after shut down a major drug trafficking operation run by gang members affiliated with Mexican cartels and seized enough fentanyl to kill nearly half of Florida’s population. And after DEA agents earlier this year, in a three-month operation, seized 10.2 million fake pills in all 50 states after they’d seized more than 20.4 million fake prescription pills in 2021. Moody has increasingly been warning Americans that “one pill can kill,” especially rainbow fentanyl being used to target children because it looks like candy. Her office has published a Fast Facts on Fentanyl Toolkit as well as information about digital dealers who are using social media apps targeting minors. The DEA has also published an Emoji Drug Code identifying symbols used to communicate with minors about drugs. Texas also launched a “one pill can kill” public service campaign. Americans are urged to never take a pill that isn’t prescribed by a doctor, from a friend or purchase anything through social media. “Fentanyl has flooded into the country, and Joe Biden continues to look the other way as Mexican drug cartels smuggle massive amounts of this deadly opioid across our southwest border,” Moody said. Addressing the president, she said: “Biden, do your job, secure the border and help us end this opioid crisis.” After receiving the precursors from China, the cartels manufacture fake pills in Mexico to look like real prescription pills like OxyContin, Percocet, Xanax, and others that are laced with fentanyl. “Fentanyl remains the deadliest drug threat facing this country,” the DEA says. The highly addictive synthetic opioid is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Two milligrams, roughly the weight of a mosquito, and small enough to fit on the tip of a pencil, is considered a potentially deadly dose. According to the CDC, 107,622 Americans died of drug poisoning in 2021; 66% involved synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
