DEA faces crisis amid corruption, blocked medical cannabis research, and systemic failures.

The DEA is facing its worst crisis in 52 years, with former Deputy Chief Paul Campo arrested in December 2025 for allegedly laundering $12 million for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, highlighting systemic corruption as at least 16 agents have been charged in the past decade. The agency has also obstructed medical research, notably blocking MMJ BioPharma’s seven-year effort to produce FDA-approved cannabis treatments for Huntington’s and multiple sclerosis, imposing illegal licensing hurdles and delaying action for over 2,500 days despite a congressional 60-day mandate. The DOJ admitted the DEA’s administrative process is unconstitutional, violating due process, while a Yale Law Journal analysis found the agency has overstepped its authority in drug scheduling. Former DEA leaders now consult for industries they once regulated, and the agency has failed to stop cartels or protect public health amid rising THC potency and psychosis cases. Advocates urge immediate approval of MMJ’s application to advance life-saving medical research.