Congress Passes Spending Bill Continuing Protections for State Medical Marijuana Programs

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The Justice Department will continue to be prohibited from interfering in state medical marijuana laws under the federal spending bill passed Thursday in the Senate. The bill has already passed the House, and President Trump has said he will sign it.

The legislation includes a provision that is intended to prevent the department, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, from using funds to arrest or prosecute patients, caregivers, and businesses that are acting in compliance with state medical marijuana laws.

The provision stems from…

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Hemp cultivation in Minnesota sees major growth spurt

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Minnesota’s hemp crop has grown exponentially and the number of farmers cultivating the crop has increased sixfold as the state’s pilot program enters its second year.

This year, 42 farmers are growing hemp on roughly 2,100 acres, Minnesota’s Alpha News reported. That’s a huge increase from 2016, when Minnesota’s hemp cultivation program launched with seven farmers growing the low-THC plant on 37 acres.

Farmers who want to cultivate hemp must apply for a license with Minnesota’s…

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MJ advocacy group celebrates win over DEA ‘misinformation’

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Americans for Safe Access claimed partial victory over the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration when it announced the federal agency had removed “factually inaccurate information” and “damaging misinformation” regarding cannabis from its website.

The DEA removed information from its site that included “claims that cannabis was a gateway drug, caused irreversible cognitive decline in adults, and contributed to psychosis and lung cancer,” according to a news release Monday by ASA, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting medical…

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DEA rule change sparks concern on marijuana extracts

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The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has introduced a new rule on how it tracks marijuana extracts that is causing concern in the marijuana industry. But should it?

The DEA announced in the Federal Register it is creating “a new Administration Controlled Substances Code Number for ‘Marihuana Extract’” so that it can track things like concentrates and oils separately from marijuana flower.


Marijuana Business License DirectoryThe DEA code for marijuana is 7360, while the new marijuana extract code is 7350.

Some observers believe the rule change could mean increased…

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Obama Thinks Marijuana Should Be Legal, Still Has Time for Pardons

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In an interview with Rolling Stone published Nov. 29, President Barack Obama spoke candidly about how he thinks marijuana should be treated:

You can now buy marijuana legally on the entire West Coast. So why are we still waging the War on Drugs? It is a colossal failure. Why are we still dancing around the subject and making marijuana equivalent to a Schedule I drug?640px-2011_state_of_the_union_obama

Look, I’ve been very clear about my belief that we should try to discourage substance abuse. And I am not somebody who believes that legalization is a panacea. But I do…

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Marijuana Policy Reformers Wary of Jeff Sessions as Attorney General

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Sen. Jeff Sessions (PHOTO: Gaga Skidmore)

President-elect Trump’s pick for the top law enforcement position is known for making some disturbing statements, particularly about marijuana, that have made activists extremely nervous about federal marijuana policy in the next administration. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama), who is likely to be confirmed as attorney general in the coming months, has been pretty clear that he is no fan of marijuana, legalization, or marijuana consumers.

The Week reports:

Sessions has called for more federal…

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DEA Fails to Reschedule Marijuana, but Opens Path for More Research

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The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has decided that marijuana will remain classified as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act. The decision to keep marijuana in the category reserved for drugs with no accepted medical uses and a high potential for abuse was, according to the DEA, based on consultation with the Department of Health and Human Services. According to DEA administrator Chuck Rosenberg, “If the scientific understanding about marijuana changes — and it could change — then the decision could…

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MPP’s Rob Kampia Weighs in on DEA Scheduling

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In response to the recent decision by the DEA not to move marijuana out of Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, MPP’s Rob Kampia offered the following analysis of the situation, and what the best course of action would be:

In the wake of the DEA’s decision against rescheduling marijuana, the super-majority of the American people who support legalizing medical marijuana might properly wonder, “How bad is this news?”

As the leader of the largest marijuana-policy-reform organization in the nation, my answer might surprise…

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Appeals Court: DOJ Can’t Prosecute State-Legal MJ Businesses

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In a big win for licensed marijuana companies, a federal appeals court in California ruled Tuesday that the U.S. Department of Justice can’t spend money to prosecute cannabis businesses that comply with state laws.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled that the DOJ must comply with the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment, which Congress first adopted in December 2014. It prohibits the DOJ from spending federal funds to interfere with the implementation of state marijuana laws.

The case wound up before the court, which covers…

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Week in Review: Five Takeaways From the DEA’s Marijuana Decision

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By John Schroyer

Overjoyed. Infuriated. Apathetic.

That’s the marijuana industry’s response to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s decision to say “no” to cannabis rescheduling and “yes” to medical cannabis research. Here’s a closer look at the business and political implications of this week’s DEA verdict. 

 1. New Industry Niche

“Great news.”

That was at the top of an email from Dr. Sue Sisley, who’s been striving for years to put together a study on the medical efficacy of cannabis for patients with…

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Week in Review: Rescheduling Rumors, Nevada Targets California Docs & Pain Relief in MN

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By John Schroyer and Omar Sacirbey

Federal cannabis rescheduling rumors keep swirling, Nevada is poised to cut off a significant chunk of income for medical marijuana dispensaries, and Minnesota’s pair of MMJ companies get major relief from pain patients.

Here’s a closer look at some notable developments in the marijuana industry over the past week.

Don’t Hold Your Breath on Rescheduling 

The rescheduling rumor mill keeps on churning. And marijuana industry executives may not want to hold their collective breaths for a resolution just…

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DEA: Marijuana Seizures Decline In 2015

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DEA: Marijuana Seizures Decline In 2015

WASHINGTON, DC — Seizures of indoor and outdoor cannabis crops by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) fell in 2015, according to annual data compiled by the US Drug Enforcement Administration.

According to the DEA’s Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Statistical Report, agents eradicated 4.25 million marijuana plants nationwide in 2015. That total is slightly less than the total reported by the agency for the year 2014 (4.3 million) and continues to the ongoing decline in eradication totals since 2010, when the agency

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Medical Cannabis Research Growing But Hurdles Remain

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By Omar Sacirbey

Scientific researchers are increasingly interested in studying the medicinal properties of cannabis, and breakthroughs have been achieved that could lead to additional uses for medical marijuana.

The moves could bolster the MMJ industry and boost sales. But marijuana’s status as a federally prohibited Schedule 1 drug remains a serious obstacle to research.

That status undermines the medical community’s acceptance of marijuana, which is crucial for the MMJ industry to thrive. Dispensaries depend on doctors to write…

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Marijuana Rescheduling No-Decision Met With Challenge From Congress

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Earlier this year, the DEA had announced that they hope to have a decision regarding the rescheduling of marijuana within the first half of 2016. That time has now come and gone with the DEA failing to deliver.

A bipartisan coalition of Senators and Representatives has signed a letter to head of the DEA, Chuck Rosenberg, urging the federal agency to remove marijuana and THC from Schedule I, its current status under the Controlled Substances Act.  Schedule I is the most restrictive drug classification that, according to the DEA, is…

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Senators Put Pressure on DEA to Reschedule Marijuana

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A group of U.S. Democratic senators is putting pressure on the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency to remove marijuana from its list of the most dangerous drugs.

DEA spokesman Russ Baer told the Wall Street Journal the agency will announce a decision “sometime soon” about whether it will reschedule marijuana from a federally prohibited substance to something less restrictive. But he did not expect a decision by June 30, countering widespread speculation in the cannabis industry.

Baer explained the DEA is in the “final stages” of its…

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Hemp Industry Facing Barriers to Commercialization

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8812369 - field of hemp. industrial kind of this plant is not a drug but a resource. it contains hardly any thc

By Omar Sacirbey

It’s been more than two years since President Barack Obama signed legislation authorizing the limited cultivation of hemp, but the fledgling industry remains a long way from becoming a thriving business.

Observers say commercialization of this potentially lucrative plant remains limited for legal, financial and technological reasons.

They point to restrictive federal guidelines governing hemp, a dearth of investors willing to wager money on the plant, and a lack of commercial-scale processing equipment. Finding fixes to…

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DEA Set to Act Imminently on Marijuana Rescheduling Petition

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DEA Set to Act Imminently on Marijuana Rescheduling Petition

WASHINGTON, DC — The US Drug Enforcement Administration is prepared to respond in the coming months to an administrative petition calling for the reclassification of marijuana as a schedule I prohibited substance.

Replying to a July 2015 inquiry by US Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and seven other senators, representatives from the DEA acknowledged that they intend to respond to a five-year-old rescheduling petition, filed by then Governors Christine Gregoire of Washington and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, by this July.

The petition,

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DEA: Decision on Marijuana Rescheduling Coming Soon

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The United States Drug Enforcement Administration will reportedly decide in the coming months whether to reschedule marijuana, an unexpected announcement that indicates the federal government is taking the issue seriously.

While removing marijuana from the list of Schedule 1 substances wouldn’t necessarily make the plant fully legal, it could have major ramifications for those in the industry, especially when it comes to taxes and banking.

The DEA stated its plans to make a decision by…

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It Is Time to Deschedule, Not Reschedule, Cannabis

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Under the US Controlled Substances Act of 1970, the cannabis plant and its organic cannabinoids are classified as schedule I prohibited substances — the most restrictive category available under the law.

A recent memorandum from the US Drug Enforcement Administration to several United States Senators indicates that the agency is prepared to respond in the coming months to a five-year-old petition seeking to amend the plant’s status as a schedule I prohibited substance.

Under the US Controlled Substances Act of 1970, the cannabis plant and…

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Illegal MJ Production Plummets in Washington State

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Illegal marijuana production in Washington State has seen a spectacular decline since 2010, according to a new report by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, which suggests that most cannabis enthusiasts are turning to legal businesses instead of potentially cheaper black market marijuana.

The amount of processed marijuana the DEA seized dropped from 3,126 pounds in 2010 to just 635 pounds in 2014, the Yakima Herald-Republic reported.

The report also said the number of marijuana plants it seized…

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DEA Searches Oregon Extract Maker

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In a reminder that cannabis businesses are still not immune from federal law enforcement – even in states with legal marijuana – U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents recently searched the homes of the owners of a THC extractor and seller in Oregon, according to Willamette Week.

DEA agents searched the homes of Michael Andrew Dillon and Michael Corby, the owners of True North Extracts, on Dec. 23, after local police shut down True North’s oil-extraction facility in Wood Village,…

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Federal Health Agency Makes MJ Scheduling Recommendation to DEA

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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has apparently weighed in on where marijuana should appear on the Drug Enforcement Administration’s list of controlled substances, but it’s not yet clear exactly what stance the agency took.

“DEA recently received the HHS scientific and medical evaluations as well as a scheduling recommendation that HHS prepared in response to” two petitions filed with the federal government, according to a Sept. 30 letter from the Department of Justice…

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DEA Eases Some Requirements for Clinical Trials on Cannabidiol

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WASHINGTON, DC — The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) says they are easing some of the requirements imposed by the Controlled Substances Act for researchers conducting clinical trials on cannabidiol (CBD), an extract of marijuana that has been used to reduce seizures in children, among other ailments.

According to a press release issued Wednesday by the DEA, the changes “will streamline the research process regarding CBD’s possible medicinal value and help foster ongoing scientific studies.”

Researchers who are conducting Food…

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Congress Adopts Significant Drug Policy Reforms in New Spending Bill

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WASHINGTON, DC — Congress approved a must-pass spending bill this week that includes language that stops the Obama Administration’s Department of Justice from spending money to block the implementation of state medical marijuana laws. The amendment was passed last year on a temporary basis and must be renewed this year.

“The renewal of this amendment should bring relief for medical marijuana patients and business owners,” said Michael Collins, Deputy Director of National Affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance. “For decades Congress…

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Ban on Justice Deptartment Interference in State Medical Marijuana Laws to Continue

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Justice Department Will Continue to Be Prohibited From Interfering in State Medical Marijuana Laws Under New Spending Bill

The appropriations bill unveiled late Tuesday in Congress includes the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment, which is intended to prevent the DOJ and DEA from arresting or prosecuting patients, caregivers, and businesses that are acting in compliance with state medical marijuana laws; the spending plan also renews the Harris Amendment, which prevents the District of Columbia from regulating marijuana for adult use

WASHINGTON, D.C….

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Congress Unveils 2016 Omnibus Spending Bill, Reauthorizes Marijuana Protections

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WASHINGTON, DC — Members of Congress on Wednesday unveiled the 2016 Omnibus Appropriations bill, legislation that is responsible for funding the federal government through the 2016 fiscal year.  

While stand alone marijuana related bills rarely gain traction in Congress, the annual omnibus appropriations bill has become a tool for federal lawmakers to pass marijuana related language into annual spending guidelines.

In last week’s Legislative Round Up, we covered five distinct marijuana provisions that lawmakers sought to include in the…

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DEA Allows Drug Company to Import Cannabis

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A drug delivery and technology company has received approval from the US Drug Enforcement Administration to import marijuana for research.

Catalent, a New Jersey-based drug development and technology company, applied with the DEA in August to allow its Kansas City, Mo., facility to import cannabis. The DEA approved the request in early December, according to a Federal Notice.

According to the notice, Catalent will “import finished pharmaceutical products containing cannabis extracts in…

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Mounting Pressure on DEA Head to Resign for Calling Medical Marijuana “A Joke”

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ARLINGTON, VA — Medical marijuana patients and supporters gathered Friday at DEA headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, to hand in more than 100,000 petition signatures demanding the resignation or firing of DEA Administrator Chuck Rosenberg after he called medical marijuana “a joke.”

The petition, which was started only two weeks ago, has more than doubled the number of signatures on an earlier petition that helped prompt the ouster of Rosenberg’s predecessor, former DEA head Michele Leonhart.

After walking from the nearby site of…

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Rep. Blumenauer Calls for Firing of DEA Director

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Recently, we shared a story about interim DEA head Chuck Rosenberg referring to medical marijuana as a “joke.” Since then, a Change.org petition started by Marijuana Majority calling for Rosenberg to be fired for his lack of compassion for patients and poor understanding of marijuana has garnered almost 100,000 signatures!

Today, Rep. Earl Blumenaur (D-OR), who has been a champion of marijuana policy reform at the federal level, called on Congress to demand that Rosenberg be replaced!

You can watch the…

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Interim DEA Director Calls Medical Marijuana a “Joke”

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On Wednesday, interim director Chuck Rosenberg of the Drug Enforcement Agency made some troubling statements regarding medical marijuana.

CBS News reports:

Dir. Chuck Rosenberg

“What really bothers me is the notion that marijuana is also medicinal — because it’s not,” Rosenberg said in a briefing to reporters. “We can have an intellectually honest debate about whether we should legalize something that is bad and dangerous, but don’t call it medicine — that is a joke.”

…

“There are pieces of…

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Seneca Nation to Explore Entering MMJ Industry

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Seneca Nation voters in western New York gave their leaders approval to explore entering the medical marijuana industry.

In a referendum that coincided with the tribe’s judicial elections, the measure passed this week 448-364, according to The Buffalo News.

The vote permits the Seneca Nation Council to draft laws and regulations to allow for the manufacture, use and distribution of medical cannabis. The measure requires further approval from the tribe’s members if the council wants to…

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Federal Court Ruling Is Big Win for Medical Marijuana Patients, Businesses

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A federal judge ruled Monday that a budget amendment approved by Congress prevents the Department of Justice from taking action against medical marijuana patients and providers who are operating in compliance with state laws.

Northern District of California Judge Charles Breyer

Judge Charles Breyer (Photo: Hillary Jones-Mixon / The Recorder)

said that by enacting the so-called Rohrabacher-Farr amendment, “Congress dictated…that it intended to prohibit the Department of Justice from expending any funds in…

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Congress Misled by Justice Department on Marijuana Vote

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As first reported by Marijuana.com, a Justice Department internal memo distributed to U.S. House Representatives last year misinformed members on the scope of a medical marijuana amendment they were voting on.

Last year, lawmakers approved 219 to 189 an amendment aimed at prohibiting the Department of Justice from using funds to interfere with the implementation of state medical marijuana laws.

We have now learned that in the days before this vote, Justice Department officials distributed “informal talking points” incorrectly warning members that the amendment could “in effect, limit or possibly eliminate the Department’s ability to enforce federal law in recreational marijuana cases as well.” The realization came from a footnote contained in the memo stating that the talking…

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DEA Chief Admits It: Heroin is Clearly More Dangerous Than Marijuana

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WASHINGTON, DC — Marijuana is safer than heroin, the new head of the US Drug Enforcement Administration said this week.

During a press conference Wednesday morning, newly appointed DEA chief Chuck Rosenberg clarified a statement he made last week, admitting to reporters “heroin is clearly more dangerous than marijuana.”

Last week, Rosenberg said that marijuana was “probably” not as dangerous as heroin.  Rosenberg also said last week that he has asked DEA offices “to focus their efforts and the resources of the DEA on the most important cases in their jurisdictions, and by and large what they are telling [him] is that the most important cases in their jurisdictions are opioids and heroin.”

Rosenberg’s predecessor, Michelle Leonhart vigorously defended marijuana’s…

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Report: DOJ Misled Congress to Influence Medical Marijuana Vote

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Tom Angell at marijuana.com reports that the Department of Justice intentionally misled Congress to discourage passage of a budget restriction that would prevent them from spending funds to interfere with state implementation of medical marijuana programs.

Justice Department officials misinformed members of Congress about the effects of a medical marijuana amendment being considered by the U.S. House of Representatives, according to an internal memo obtained by Marijuana.com.

The amendment, which lawmakers approved in May 2014 by a vote…

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ASA Comments on Recently Revealed DOJ Memo on Rohrabacher-Farr CJS Amendment

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On Wednesday, Tom Angell chairman of Marijuana Majority scored a big scoop revealing for the first time the Department of Justice’s detailed response to the Rohrabacher-Farr Medical Cannabis Amendment.

Sadly, if not completely surprisingly,  the DOJ argues that federal prosecutions against private citizens participating in state-level medical cannabis programs would not be impacted by the amendment. DOJ also appears to admit to providing misleading information to Congress ahead of last year’s vote on Rohrabacher-Farr.

ASA Government Affairs Director Mike Liszewski issued the following comment:

The February 27, 2015 DOJ memo shows that they were providing either deliberately misleading statements or, at the very least, contradictory and confusing messages in their talking points in…

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NIDA Acknowledges Drawbacks to Monopoly on Marijuana Supply

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WASHINGTON, DC — Members of the US Senate at a hearing Wednesday expressed skepticism in regard to federal policies limiting the ability of investigators to engage in clinical studies of marijuana’s health benefits.

Senators heard from representatives from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), University of Mississippi Medical Center, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center and Project SAM on a variety of issues

The hearing’s most noteworthy moment came when Nora Volkow, director of NIDA, acknowledged that the monopoly on marijuana cultivation for research purposes ought to be amended. Currently, NIDA contracts strictly with the University of Mississippi to grow marijuana for use in research studies. This…

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Congress Passes 3 Amendments to Stop DEA from Undermining State Marijuana Laws

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Important Victories Build on Last Night’s Votes to End DEA’s Controversial Bulk Data Collection Program, Cut DEA’s Budget

“There’s unprecedented support on both sides of the aisle for ending the federal war on marijuana and letting states set their own drug policies based on science, compassion, health, and human rights,” said Bill Piper, director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance. “The more the DEA blocks sensible reforms the more they will see their agency’s power and budget come under deeper…

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Congress Votes to End DEA’s Bulk Data Collection Program; Slashes Agency’s Budget

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Four Votes Today on Stopping DEA and Justice Department from Undermining State Marijuana Laws;  Votes Come in Wake of Recent Forced Resignation of DEA Head and Growing Public Pressure to End Drug War and Mass Incarceration

WASHINGTON, DC — Legislators voted by a simple voice vote Tuesday night to end the DEA’s controversial bulk data collection programs, as part of the U.S. House of Representatives’ consideration of the Fiscal Year 2016 Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill.

The House also passed three amendments that cut…

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Feds Seek to Increase Marijuana Production Quotas

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Feds Seek to Increase Marijuana Production Quotas

WASHINGTON, DC — For the second year in a row, federal officials are seeking to increase the supply of cannabis the government makes available for research protocols.

DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart filed paperwork Tuesday announcing that the agency is seeking to increase its marijuana production quota for the year 2015 by nearly three-fold.

Federal regulations permit a farm at the University of Mississippi to cultivate set quantities of cannabis for use in federally approved clinical trials.

Regulators at the DEA, the US Food and Drug…

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Federal Judge Rejects DOJ Effort to Imprison Kettle Falls Five Defendants Pending Sentencing

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DOJ continues to waste tax dollars trying to lock up family of medical marijuana patients, despite acquittal of almost all charges

SPOKANE, WA — Just one week after three medical marijuana patients were acquitted by a federal jury of all but one charge stemming from the widely watched Kettle Falls Five trial, US District Court Judge Thomas Rice rejected attemptsby the Justice Department (DOJ) to imprison the defendants pending sentencing on June 10th.

Judge Rice’s ruling comes just a day after defense attorneys filed their opposition to the government’s pre-sentencing detention effort.

The DOJ remains aggressive in its attempts to lock up the three family members, filing an emergency request for detention just one day after the jury reached its verdict. Apparently unsatisfied with a…

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Remaining ‘Kettle Falls Five’ Defendants Acquitted on 4 of 5 Charges

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Three remaining Kettle Falls Five defendants found guilty of manufacturing less than 100 plants, likely to appeal

SPOKANE, WA — In an unexpected verdict Tuesday, the jury in a widely watched federal medical marijuana case from eastern Washington State, known as the Kettle Falls Five, acquitted the three remaining defendants of all but one charge of manufacturing less than 100 marijuana plants.

The charge carries no mandatory minimum sentence and defendants Rhonda Firestack-Harvey, 56, her son Rolland Gregg, 33, and daughter-in-law Michelle Gregg, 36, remain free until sentencing on June 10th at 10am.

In a prosecution and week-long trial that cost roughly $2 million tax dollars, the Obama Administration aggressively pursued marijuana trafficking charges against a family of patients who…

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Jury Selection, Opening Statements Made in Federal Medical Marijuana Trial of Kettle Falls Five

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Three defendants still stand trial after dismissal of charges against cancer-stricken defendant, plea bargain by family friend

SPOKANE, WA — Trial began on Wednesday with jury selection and opening statements in a widely watched federal medical marijuana case against a family from eastern Washington State known as the Kettle Falls Five.

Last week, amidst mounting pressure, the Department of Justice (DOJ) dismissed charges against defendant Larry Harvey, 71, who was recently diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer.

Earlier this week, defendant and Harvey family friend Jason Zucker accepted a plea deal, whereby he agreed to cooperate with the prosecution by testifying against his co-defendants in exchange for a single felony conviction and a recommended sentence of 16 months.

Three…

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Trial Starts Wednesday in “Kettle Falls Five” Federal Medical Marijuana Case

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Government continues prosecution despite Congressional ban on interfering with implementation of state law

SPOKANE, WA — Trial starts Wednesday in a widely watched federal medical marijuana case from eastern Washington State known as the Kettle Falls Five. The Obama Administration is aggressively pursuing marijuana trafficking charges against a family of patients who claim to have been growing for themselves in full compliance with Washington State’s medical marijuana law. The Department of Justice (DOJ) is also choosing to try them in defiance of a recent Congressional ban on DOJ interference in the implementation of state law.

Last week, the federal government agreed to dismiss charges against Larry Harvey, 71, who has been diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer, but fought…

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Feds Drop Charges Against Larry Harvey in ‘Kettle Falls Five’ Medical Marijuana Case

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Trial set to proceed next week against remaining members of the so-called “Kettle Falls Five”

SPOKANE, WA — Days before trial is scheduled to start in a widely watched federal medical marijuana case, the government dismissed charges Wednesday against Larry Harvey, 71, a defendant recently diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer.

Harvey has been prosecuted for more than two years as part of the so-called “Kettle Falls Five” case, along with other members of his family, who will still be tried by the government as early as next week.

“I’m thankful the charges against me have been dropped so that I can focus on my battle with Stage IV pancreatic cancer,” said Larry Harvey in a prepared statement. “However, if the Department of Justice truly has concerns for my well being,…

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