Law Enforcement

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) appears to support considering synthetic cannabinoids that contain THC — including hemp-derived delta-8 THC — as controlled substances under federal law, according to a recent agency conference presentation.

Despite having served fewer warrants, California’s United Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce seized more cannabis and cannabis products — and eradicated more cannabis plants — during the first quarter of 2023 than the previous quarter.

The New Mexico Supreme Court heard arguments this week about whether roadside alcohol impairment testing can be used by law enforcement officers to check for evidence of cannabis impairment.

The U.S. military and many federal agencies have started to deprioritize prior cannabis use when considering new hires.

Out of the 806 federal cannabis-related criminal charges filed in the U.S. last year, 98.8% were for alleged drug trafficking.

Illinois lawmakers are considering two cannabis bills: one to ban police from searching vehicles based solely on the odor of cannabis and one to allow some people on probation to use cannabis and alcohol.

Per an enforcement order by Connecticut’s attorney general, law enforcement recently seized thousands of delta-8 THC, delta-8 THCO, delta-9 THCO, and other high-THC products at three vape shops in Stamford.

Maryland lawmakers passed a bill this week to prohibit police officers from conducting vehicle searches based solely on the presence of cannabis odor.

Seven police officers who helped carry out a raid on Afroman’s house in Ohio last year are now suing the artist over his use of footage from the raid, which depicts the officers’ faces, in music videos and on social media. The rapper says he plans to countersue.

Since Killeen, Texas voters opted to decriminalize low-level cannabis possession last November, city police have released 77% of the individuals they encountered who were in possession of cannabis.

California cannabis regulators and law enforcement agencies collectively seized nearly 440,000 pounds of illicit cannabis during enforcement actions last year.

An annual report found that police in California searched teenagers they perceived to be Black at nearly six times the rate of teens they perceived to be white during 2021 vehicle and pedestrian stops.

The alleged “straw” owner of the Oklahoma cannabis farm where a quadruple homicide occurred last November has been arrested.

Police in Hays, Kansas recently raided the hospital room of a terminally ill cancer patient, confiscating a THC-infused edible paste and vaping device said to contain cannabinoids. The patient was given a ticket and court summons but law enforcement later dropped the charges.

Police in northern India said that a stash of 500 kilograms of confiscated cannabis that had gone missing was eaten by rats.

South Florida police arrested a man yesterday who is suspected of murdering four people at an Oklahoma cannabis farm over the weekend.

The Missouri Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP) is campaigning for voters to approve adult-use cannabis reforms during the midterm elections with the aim of rectifying the harm done to communities by the war on drugs.

The California Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce announced on Wednesday that it recently eradicated 7,503 plants and more than 936 pounds of cannabis flower.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol contested cannabis legalization advertisements which have since been pulled from YouTube. Police claimed copyright infringement over an actor in uniform.

Despite adult-use reforms in Virginia, Black people are still disproportionately arrested for cannabis-related charges than other races.

The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics is working with law enforcement in an effort to target criminal organizations operating within the state’s medical cannabis program.

The California Department of Justice’s annual Campaign Against Marijuana Planting said that nearly 1 million illegally grown plants were eradicated and more than 200,000 pounds of processed cannabis were seized during the 2022 season.

California Gavin Newsom (D) called for creating the Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce, a multi-agency unit designed to combat illegal cannabis operations.

DEA Museum historian Kasey Sease, Ph.D. admitted that the reasons for criminalizing drug use were based on racial, ethnic, and class prejudice.