Derek S. Maltz is the new Acting Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Anne Milgram is no longer the administrator of the DEA, a position she held for over three years. Given President Trump has not nominated a new administrator, Maltz has filled in the role as acting administrator, a position he will retain until removed by Trump or until Trump’s pick to lead the agency is confirmed by the Senate.
The mix-up at the DEA comes at a crucial time: Recently DEA Administrative Law Judge John Mulrooney cancelled a series of public hearings on marijuana rescheduling, which were scheduled to start today and run through March 6. In cancelling the hearings, Mulrooney left open the possibility that the DEA could continue the hearings at a later date. He has directed relevant parties to provide an update within 90 days.
Whoever Trump picks to lead the DEA could have a lot of sway in how rescheduling is handled. They could push to get the move back on track, and potentially put rescheduling on a path of enactment, or they could stonewall the issue, effectively killing it for the foreseeable future.
Maltz is a “career special agent who served 28 years at DEA before retiring in 2014”. He is the former “chief of the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force”.
