Whitt Steineker and Slates Veazey Quoted in Law360 on Uncertain Rollout of DEA Oversight of State-Licensed Medical Marijuana Businesses

Bradley attorneys Whitt Steineker and Slates Veazey were quoted in Law360 addressing the tension between what businesses already disclose to state regulators and the much greater significance of formally disclosing that information to the federal government.

Steineker pushed back against fears that DEA registration automatically puts cannabis businesses in the federal crosshairs.

"There's a big group of people saying, 'You'd be crazy to go to the DEA and tell them you're selling marijuana. You're just putting yourself on a list. They're going to come after you at some point.' I think that's overdone a little bit," Steineker said. "There's been no evidence that I've seen the DEA is using this to boost any prosecution or enforcement efforts."

Veazey emphasized that the information itself is generally not secret.

"The list of every licensed entity in Mississippi is necessarily public," Veazey said. "There's a database where you can search and see all the cultivation, processing and dispensary entities. It's not a secret, but it is different to make a sworn answer to the feds that you've been engaging in conduct that is federally illegal."

Steineker and Veazey suggest the immediate concern is not necessarily that the DEA will prosecute everyone who registers, but rather that businesses are entering a new and still unpredictable federal regulatory regime.

The full article, “Medical Marijuana Industry Grapples With DEA’s New Role,” was published by Law360 on August 28, 2026. (login required)