Arizona Tribune - DEA Marijuana Enforcers Fail the Law: The DEA Chief Council Attorney Aarathi Haig Not in Good Standing

WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESS Newswire / April 7, 2025 / The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the federal agency tasked with enforcing the nation's controlled substances marijuana laws and pharmaceutical development, now finds itself in the center of a growing controversy that threatens its credibility. The issue isn't just about MMJ BioPharma Cultivations bureaucratic delays that have stalled vital medical marijuana research-it's about the integrity of the very individuals charged with upholding the law.

Aarathi Haig, the DEA attorney representing the agency in a high-profile lawsuit filed by MMJ BioPharma Cultivation, is currently listed as not in good standing to practice law in New Jersey. Her lapsed status, due to non-compliance with continuing legal education (CLE), IOLTA, client trust funds, and mandatory fee obligations, flies in the face of both state and federal ethics requirements. This isn't a clerical error; it's a serious breach of professional conduct that calls into question the agency's oversight and ethical standards.

According to 28 U.S.C. § 530B, federal attorneys are required to abide by the ethical rules of the states in which they are licensed. Aarathi Haig's inability to maintain good standing with the New Jersey Bar is a direct violation of this statute. The Department of Justice's own Ethics Handbook outlines fundamental principles-honesty, integrity, and adherence to the law-which are undermined when an attorney fails to meet even the most basic professional obligations.

This is not a minor technicality. MMJ BioPharma Cultivation, a company seeking to develop cannabis-based pharmaceuticals for Huntington's disease and multiple sclerosis, has waited 7 years for DEA approval to conduct its research and grow specific marijuana cultivars. The agency's delays have prompted a federal lawsuit, and now we learn that its legal representative may not even be ethically authorized to appear in court? This development not only bolsters MMJ's case but paints a troubling picture of selective enforcement and double standards.

When private citizens or companies fall short of compliance, the DEA acts swiftly and decisively. Why then is there no comparable urgency when the failure comes from within its own ranks? The agency's silence on this matter is not just a public relations problem-it's a breach of public trust.

The public deserves answers. Has the DEA taken disciplinary action? Has Aarathi Haig, the DEA attorney, been removed from the case? What mechanisms exist within the DEA to ensure their attorneys meet the same standards the agency enforces on others?

Congress must act. Oversight hearings should be convened, and the DEA should be held accountable not only for its handling of MMJ's BioPharma Cultivations application but for its internal ethical failures. The revelations about Haig offer a rare glimpse into an agency in need of reform-reform that ensures fairness, transparency, and accountability at all levels.

At a time when the nation is reconsidering its approach to cannabis, we must also reconsider who is enforcing the law, and whether they are living up to the standards they demand of others. When the enforcers themselves become the violators, the law loses its moral authority.

It's time to restore it.

MMJ is represented by attorney Megan Sheehan

CONTACT:
Madison Hisey
mhisey@mmjih.com
203-231-8583

SOURCE: MMJ International Holdings

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P.Smith--AT