Cannabis rescheduling is not a top priority of President Donald Trump’s newly sworn-in Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) administrator, Terrance Cole, despite the promise he made three months ago.

After he was sworn in as the agency’s head on July 23, Cole released a list on July 25 of his top eight strategic priorities that “reflect a renewed focus on enforcement, partnership and public safety to meet the evolving threats of the global drug crisis.”

Absent from that list was reviewing where the DEA stands on a proposed rule to reclassify cannabis from a Schedule I to Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), something Cole said would be “one of my first priorities” during his Senate confirmation hearing in April. Cole told U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee members that “it’s time to move forward” with the rescheduling hearing process that’s been delayed by an interlocutory appeal since January.

RELATED: DEA Provides No Cannabis Rescheduling Update After 180 Days

However, it appears Cole has changed his order of operations.

Instead of listing the cannabis rescheduling process as a top priority, Cole placed an urgency on fighting foreign terrorist organizations, from targeting drug traffickers to dismantling Mexican cartels and disrupting the supply chain for illicit fentanyl manufacturers.

These strategic priorities reflect Cole’s 22-year career as a DEA special agent, before he retired from federal service in 2020 and, in 2023, began serving as Virginia’s Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security under Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

“As I once again walk through the doors of DEA, I am reminded of the passion and commitment I carried as a special agent, the same passion that drives the men and women in this agency,” Cole said in a July 25 press release. “The gravity of DEA’s mission was clear as I stood witness to President Donald Trump signing the Halt Fentanyl Act surrounded by angel families holding onto the memories of those they lost. They are the reason we remain focused, determined and unwavering.”

The Halt Fentanyl Act permanently classifies fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs under the CSA. While cannabis is currently listed among heroin, LSD and ecstasy as the most controlled drugs with a Schedule I status, fentanyl is listed as a Schedule II drug. Despite its deadly nature, fentanyl has a currently accepted medical use in the U.S.

“The cartels and foreign terrorist organizations fueling this crisis are global in reach—and so is the DEA,” Cole said. “With the support of the Trump administration, the Department of Justice [DOJ], and our international, federal, state, local and tribal partners, we will dismantle these violent cartels and make America safe again.”

While Cole omitted any mention of cannabis in the July 25 swearing-in announcement, that doesn’t mean the DEA administrator won’t live up to his promise: to merely review where the DEA is in the administrative process to reschedule cannabis.

While Cole said in his April confirmation hearing that “it’s time to move forward” on the delayed hearing process—to debate the merits of the DOJ’s Schedule III proposed rule—he never committed to following through on the proposal. Also, he said that he was unfamiliar with where the administrative law judge hearing stood, other than that it was delayed.

“If confirmed, I will give the matter careful consideration after consulting with appropriate personnel within the Drug Enforcement Administration, familiarizing myself with the current status of the regulatory process, and reviewing all relevant information,” Cole said in May in response to written questions for the record.

Most recently, John J. Mulrooney II, the DEA’s chief administrative law judge tasked with overseeing a fair and transparent hearing process, announced July 23 that he is retiring on Aug. 1, upon which time he will no longer have jurisdiction over the rescheduling hearing.

Mulrooney’s successor will pick up full jurisdiction over the hearing process only if Cole fixes a briefing schedule to allow for the hearing’s designated participants to weigh in on the interlocutory appeal, which stems from claims by pro-rescheduling participants that the DEA colluded with anti-rescheduling participants through improper ex parte communications.

Separately, a pro-rescheduling party that was denied participation in the hearing process exposed the DEA for sending “cure letters” to several anti-rescheduling entities, providing them the opportunity to submit supplemental information showing that they met the “interested person” status under the Administrative Procedure Act to participate.

After Cole sets a briefing schedule and allows designated participants to weigh in, he can entertain oral arguments, “if he desires,” and then can issue a binding written decision to Mulrooney’s successor on whether the hearing process should resume. Again, Cole indicated during his April confirmation hearing that resuming the process was his intention.

However, the DEA head also said that it’d be one of his “first priorities,” which no longer seems to be the case.

What happens when a rebel media empire, the world’s most trusted rolling paper, and the manufacturer helping iconic cannabis brands cross over to hemp come together? You get more than a product drop. You get a seismic shift in cannabis culture.

Few collaborations hit the cultural gut like this: High Times, RAW, and hhemp.co. The magazine that wrote the rebel narrative, the rolling paper that defines ritual, and the secret manufacturer behind many iconic brands, are scaling cannabis labels into hemp across 45,000‑plus doors. Together, they’re lighting the fuse on a turnkey product portfolio slated for Q4 2025, giving retailers a story‑rich line that spans terp‑saturated pre‑rolls, live‑resin vapes, and collectible merch.

Icon Credentials

Each brand brings its own legacy and loyal audience:

• Founded in 1974, High Times helped shape the language of cannabis long before legalization became a headline. Now, under the stewardship of industry veteran Matt Stang, the magazine is reclaiming its independent spirit and doubling down on community-first initiatives: revived Cannabis Cups, investigative reporting, and strategic partnerships that honor the plant’s counterculture roots. “High Times doesn’t need reinvention, it needs re-ignition,” Stang says, “and partnering with RAW and hhemp.co lets us turn decades of editorial credibility into tangible change.”
• If High Times documented the culture, RAW defined its rituals. Founder Josh Kesselman built RAW on unbleached paper that championed purity at a time when few smokers asked how their rolling papers were made. His mission, “uplifting the world and bringing all of us to the triple next level,” evolved into global philanthropy, sustainability programs, and a cult‑like fan base. In this alliance, RAW serves as the cultural litmus test: if it doesn’t feel authentic, it doesn’t ship. “A rolling paper’s job is to create a positive, uplifting experience,” Kesselman notes. “By joining forces, we can amplify that ethos far beyond the cone.”
• While High Times and RAW bring legacy cachet, hhemp.co provides the engine room. Helmed by “czar of formulation” Dr. Bao Le, the hemp manufacturer condenses R&D, compliance, and national distribution into a 60–90‑day sprint, already powering 45,000+ retail doors for celebrity and craft brands. Dr. Le’s credo of Made Clean. Made Right. Made Better™ turns high‑minded ideals into lab‑verified reality. “We remove friction so vision can flourish,” he says. “Working with High Times and RAW proves that rigorous science and counter‑culture values are complementary, not contradictory.”

Dr. Bao Le at his hemp farm in Oregon.

A Partnership Built on Principles

• Authenticity Over Algorithms: Editorial integrity, ritual credibility, and scientific rigor converge to create offerings that feel lived‑in, not manufactured for trends.
• Transparency as Table Stakes: From open-source rolling-paper specs to QR-linked COAs, no smoke and mirrors here.
• Education as Marketing: High Times will fold storytelling, investigative journalism, and how‑to content directly into product ecosystems, bridging the gap between novice consumers and seasoned aficionados.

What This Means for Retailers and Consumers

Interstate THC restrictions continue to bottleneck growth; meanwhile, hemp‑derived THCa, THCp and rosin gummies create a compliant on‑ramp to national shelves. Retail buyers crave brands with built‑in trust signals, which is exactly what High Times and RAW deliver. hhemp.co’s vertically integrated facility collapses R&D, packaging, and multi‑state testing into one sprint, keeping per‑unit margin intact.

The counter‑culture has always advanced when unlikely icons join forces, and 2025 may prove a watershed year. High Times, the magazine that handed cannabis its first glossy megaphone in 1974, has just reclaimed its independent spirit. Determined to “hand the mic back to the culture and press record,” High Times is steering the storied brand beyond print and events into products that embody its rebel DNA.

RAW arrives at the partnership with unmatched ritual credibility. Guided by Kesselman’s creed of “uplifting the world and bringing all of us to the triple next level,” RAW’s unbleached, additive‑free papers have become the benchmark for smokers who care as much about purity as potency. Its cult‑like global following ensures that anything carrying the RAW watermark commands instant trust on the shelf. “A rolling paper’s job is to create a positive, uplifting experience. Partnering with High Times and hhemp.co lets that spirit roll far wider than we ever could alone,” said Kesselman. 

Josh Kesselman and Dr. Bao Le announced High Times collaboration at Champs Las Vegas

The products officially debuted last weekend at CHAMPS Las Vegas, drawing buzz from both wholesale buyers and cultural insiders. From RAW cones packed with THCa flower to High Times-branded live resin vapes, the launch marks the beginning of a broader movement. 

Retailers see immediate shelf credibility. Consumers get ritual, rebellion, and reliability in one. And the culture? It gets its mic back.