President Joe Biden\u2019s pick to head up federal drug policy worked for a major marijuana business last year, according to his financial disclosure reports.<\/p>\n
Rahul Gupta, the nominee for director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), worked as a consultant to Holistic Industries, a multi-state cannabis operator, for nine months in 2020.<\/p>\n
This adds to the novelty of this particular administration pick, who had already caught the attention of reform advocates given his record overseeing the implementation of West Virginia\u2019s medical marijuana program<\/a> as state health commissioner and chair of a key advisory board. He\u2019s also publicly recognized both the therapeutic and economic potential of cannabis reform.<\/p>\n For a person who would be expressly tasked with maintaining the status quo of prohibition as the nation\u2019s drug czar, this is unconventional\u2014but generally welcomed by marijuana advocates nonetheless. Gupta has frustrated harm reduction activists, however, because as a state official he oversaw the decertification of a syringe access program.<\/p>\n At Holistic, Gupta\u2019s role was to consult on compliance issues, according to CNN, which was first to report<\/a> on the disclosure documents. And Holistic WV Farms I, LLC\u2014which is affiliated<\/a> with Holistic Industries\u2014evidently succeeded in demonstrating its compliance with state regulations in West Virginia, earning<\/a> 10 medical cannabis retail permits<\/a>, as well as cultivation<\/a> and processor<\/a> permits.<\/p>\n On the retail side, only one other company has received as many permits as Holistic did under the state program that its consultant Gupta once oversaw.<\/p>\n It\u2019s unclear at this point what role, if any, Gupta played in helping Holistic to secure those approvals. According to the disclosure documents, he earned $10,000 for his services to the company.<\/p>\n \u201cDr. Gupta\u2019s work for Holistic Industries involved consulting on regulatory compliance matters for prescribing medicinal cannabis in West Virginia where medical cannabis had already been legalized,\u201d a White House spokesperson told CNN. \u201cHe had overseen the development of such a program in the state as required by state law.\u201d<\/p>\n Holistic Industries describes<\/a> itself as \u201cone of the largest and fastest growing private MSOs (Multi-State Operators) in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n In a disclosure document<\/a> section on his work for Holistic, Gupta says that, per federal statute, he agrees not to \u201cparticipate personally and substantially in any particular manner involving specific parties in which I know that client is a party or represents a party, unless I am first authorized to participate\u201d for one year after he last provided services. In this case<\/a>, he worked for the medical cannabis company from March through December 2020.<\/p>\n It\u2019s uncertain what the probationary period would mean for the prospective drug czar\u2019s work on marijuana policy issues if he is confirmed by the Senate.<\/p>\n In any case, the ONDCP director is explicitly required under statute<\/a> to oppose efforts to legalize currently controlled substances, including cannabis.<\/p>\n Prohibitionists had held out hope that the president would select someone whose views more closely align with their own, such as former Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), a cofounder of anti-legalization organization Smart Approaches To Marijuana (SAM),\u00a0who had personally lobbied for the nomination<\/a>.<\/p>\n When the Gupta nomination was announced, however, they expressed optimism about the choice and said they feel he will maintain the status quo, regardless of his record on cannabis. It\u2019s unclear whether the new reports about him directly working with, and profiting from, a marijuana business will make them less sure about that.<\/p>\n It also remains to be seen whether Gupta will face a grilling over his work in the cannabis industry from senators who oppose legalization during his confirmation hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee, as Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta<\/a> (no known relation to Rahul) did over her past remarks supporting drug decriminalization.<\/p>\n Gupta\u2019s views on adult-use legalization are not clear, but he was proactive in promoting patient access to medical cannabis before leaving the state government to join the nonprofit March of Dimes, which is focused on public health issues related to mothers and children.<\/p>\n Rusty Williams, who served as a patient advocate on the West Virginia medical marijuana board alongside Gupta,\u00a0told Marijuana Moment in an earlier interview<\/a>\u00a0that he once had a personal conversation with the official about the origins of marijuana prohibition. He said that the then-chair broached the topic of why marijuana was criminalized in the first place, and then agreed that federal officials intended to use prohibition as a tool to oppress communities of color.<\/p>\n Gupta was \u201cwilling to make things happen a year early,\u201d Williams said at the time, referring to the issuance of the board\u2019s report on the state medical cannabis program. \u201cI was encouraged with the conversation that he and I had about the roots of prohibition.\u201d<\/p>\n In 2018, the West Virginia medical marijuana board released a report that included series of recommendations on the state program. Led by Gupta, the body\u00a0advised<\/a>\u00a0that patients should have access to marijuana in flower form for \u201cadministration by vaporization or nebulization\u201d\u2014something that was not initially allowed in the program as approved by lawmakers.<\/p>\n When it comes to smoking that raw plant material, Gupta\u00a0noted<\/a>, that patients \u201ccan combust themselves if they want, but that\u2019s not what we\u2019re advocating or recommending.\u201d<\/p>\n The report also called for the removal of \u201climitations on the number of permits the Bureau for Public Health may issue for growers, processors, and dispensaries,\u201d as well as the removal of \u201cthe limitation that a grower or processor may not also be a dispensary to permit the vertical integration of growers, processors and dispensaries.\u201d<\/p>\n When medical marijuana legalization was approved by the West Virginia legislature in 2017, Gupta said that, like most people, he was \u201csurprised.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s an understatement,\u201d he\u00a0said<\/a>\u00a0at the time. \u201cHowever, what we have in front of us today is a law as it stands in an attempt to compassionately address a number of disorders with chronic pain at the heart of it.\u201d<\/p>\n When members of the state medical cannabis advisory board were appointed, the official\u00a0said<\/a>\u00a0the panel will help facilitate \u201ca transparent and accountable process critical to ensuring a comprehensive system that will help citizens suffering from debilitating diseases like cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am fully committed to making this particular piece of legislation successful,\u201d he said of the medical marijuana legalization bill. \u201cThis bill was put together very quickly and, obviously, no bill is perfect. We certainly discussed the shortcomings, but that doesn\u2019t mean the program won\u2019t be successful and be on track.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to do it because lives are at stake. They are depending on the program to be successful,\u201d he added. \u201cMany people are in chronic pain. We want to take on that challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n Gupta\u00a0said<\/a>\u00a0that the board had received feedback from a range of stakeholders interested in the implementation of the cannabis program, but they\u2019d also \u201creceived calls from people who are suffering who want to have some sort of relief. They are asking when they can get their patient ID card and go to their doctors to get certification.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe human side of it\u2014you can\u2019t ignore that piece,\u201d he also\u00a0said<\/a>. \u201cScience explains some of it, but not all of it.\u201d He went on to say that there is a potential economic benefit to legalize for medical use, noting that \u201crarely are there policies enacted that are win-win,\u201d and if done right, \u201cyou can actually get a true win-win on this.\u201d<\/p>\n But Gupta isn\u2019t necessarily a fan of marijuana use for everyone. In 2019, he teamed up with then-Surgeon General Jerome Adams on a public education campaign meant to\u00a0warn against the use of cannabis<\/a>\u00a0during pregnancy and adolescence.<\/p>\n \u201cMarch of Dimes applauds today\u2019s release of the US Surgeon General\u2019s Advisory on the dangers of marijuana use during pregnancy for both mom and baby,\u201d he\u00a0said<\/a>. \u201cThe evidence clearly shows that no amount of marijuana has been proven safe to use during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. Unfortunately, this message is not resonating with all expecting women and maternity care providers, and marijuana use among pregnant women has doubled between 2002 and 2017.\u201d<\/p>\n Gupta has also periodically posted on social media about marijuana policy developments, such as the enactment of regulations for Colorado\u2019s marijuana program and a 2010 report that more teens were smoking cannabis than tobacco.<\/p>\n Colorado Signs Marijuana Regulations Into Law http:\/\/t.co\/AfEnPDD9tK<\/a> via @rttnews<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Rahul Gupta, MD, MPH, MBA (@DrGuptaMD) May 29, 2013<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n More teens smoke marijuana than cigarettes http:\/\/usat.ly\/frkZ7N<\/p>\n \u2014 Rahul Gupta, MD, MPH, MBA (@DrGuptaMD) December 15, 2010<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n Part of the reason that advocates are monitoring each of Biden\u2019s nominations is because skepticism prevails about how his administration will approach cannabis policy considering that the president\u00a0remains opposed to legalization<\/a>, and so each development sheds light on what to expect in the coming years.<\/p>\n Attorney General Merrick Garland made clear during his oral and written testimony before the Senate, for example, that he does not feel the Justice Department should use its resources to\u00a0go after people acting in compliance with state marijuana laws<\/a>. He\u00a0reiterated the point in May<\/a>.<\/p>\n U.S. Sports Authority Backs \u2018Liberalization\u2019 Of Marijuana Laws, Official Tells Lawmakers<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n The post Biden\u2019s White House Drug Czar Nominee Worked For A Marijuana Business, Records Show<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
President Joe Biden\u2019s pick to head up federal drug policy worked for a major marijuana business last year, according to his financial disclosure reports. Rahul Gupta, the nominee for director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), worked as a consultant to Holistic Industries, a multi-stateContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":458,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[81],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49054"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/458"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49054"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49054\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49055,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49054\/revisions\/49055"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49054"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49054"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49054"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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\nRead More: Biden\u2019s White House Drug Czar Nominee Worked For A Marijuana Business, Records Show<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"