“We know where we are,” Padilla told the nominee. “We know what the directive is: Get it to Schedule III,” he said, referring to a rescheduling recommendation from the Department of Health and Human Services.
“Are you committed to seeing it to fruition?” the senator asked.
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen it,” Cole said.
“So you’re leaving the door open to changing course,” the senator said.
“I’m leaving the door open to studying everything that’s been done so far, so I can make a determination,” the prospective DEA head said.
Cole also said in response to questions from Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) at the hearing that he feels it’s appropriate to form a “working group” to look at the federal-state marijuana law disconnect in order to “stay ahead of it.”
“The whole patchwork of state laws around legal marijuana, medical marijuana, it’s very confusing. I think it’s out of control,” the senator said. “And, ultimately, I believe the United States, the federal government, needs to
