Drug War Daily Digest -- October 28, 2026

Michigan and Nevada weigh marijuana tax changes; new boat strikes and Philippine accountability cases draw scrutiny, and recent drug-policy journals, videos, and events offer more to explore.

Marijuana Policy

California Court Allows Discretionary Misdemeanor Treatment of Certain Cultivation Offenses. In an opinion filed on September 28, certified for publication on October 22, and reported by Ganjapreneur on October 26, the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division Two ruled that marijuana cultivation offenses involving certain specified environmental violations can be "wobblers," meaning they can be charged as either misdemeanors or felonies. The appeals court did not order an automatic reduction; instead, it reversed a lower court decision denying relief and sent People v. Baxter back to the trial court for reconsideration.

Michigan Lieutenant Governor Candidate Proposes One-Year Pause in Marijuana Wholesale Tax. In an October 22 announcement, state Rep. Jay DeBoyer, the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor, said he planned to "soon" file a bill that would suspend the state's 24 percent marijuana wholesale tax for one year. DeBoyer argued that the tax is hurting licensed businesses in their struggle to compete with the black market. Meanwhile, Cannabis Business Times' Tony Lange reports that a separate repeal bill, Senate Bill 810, has been in committee since February and has not received a hearing.

Nevada Lawmakers Consider Replacing Marijuana Wholesale Tax With Higher Retail Rate. Nevada Current's April Corbin Girnus reports that lawmakers are considering a marijuana tax overhaul that would eliminate the 15 percent wholesale excise tax and raise the existing retail excise tax from 10 percent to between 12 and 15 percent. A state-commissioned study modeled the change as revenue-neutral. Neither the study committee nor the legislative revenue committee recommended or approved the change. Recreational buyers would face a higher tax rate, while any offset from the wholesale tax cut would depend on whether businesses lowered their prices.

Medical Marijuana

British Epilepsy Patients Get Six-Month Bedrolite Supply Assurance, but Long-Term Access Remains Uncertain. Cannabis Health's Sarah Sinclair reports that Target Healthcare, which makes Bedrolite oil at its Glasgow facility, told families it had enough stock for the next six months. The assurance offers temporary relief to patients with severe epilepsy following the bankruptcy of Dutch producers Bedrocan Nederland B.V. and Bedrocan International B.V. Target said it was discussing longer-term arrangements with Bedrocan and other organizations, but supply after those stocks run out remains uncertain.

Cannabis Cultivar Labels Raise Questions About Consistent Medical Supply. Ben Stevens of the Business of Cannabis delved into the question of whether common cultivar names reliably identify the plants and chemical profiles used by medical marijuana patients. University of British Columbia researcher Davis Allen and Northern Leaf chief executive Steven Tan described inconsistent naming and the absence of a shared genetic reference system, with Allen calling for a publicly funded Canadian gene bank and DNA fingerprinting to bolster authentication. The interviews raise concerns about treatment consistency and product authentication; they do not measure how often products are mislabeled or establish clinical outcomes.

Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Director Steps Down; Enforcement Deputy Named Interim Successor. In a move reported by Ganjapreneur on October 26, Gov. Kevin Stitt announced on October 21 that Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority executive director Adria Berry will leave her position and be replaced by the authority's deputy chief of compliance and enforcement, Jason Yingling, as interim director for the remainder of Stitt's term. Berry has led the agency since 2021 and will remain secretary of licensing and regulation through the end of Stitt's term.

Hemp

Hemp Regulation Backer Looks to Reconciliation as Federal Restrictions Approach. Roll Call's Aris Folley reports that hemp-friendly Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) is looking into whether the regulation of intoxicating hemp products could be paired with tax legislation and rolled into a possible budget reconciliation package. With federal restrictions on such products set to take effect before year's end, the move could offer one route for his proposal to regulate – not ban – those products. The deadlines differ by product: the partial congressional delay left the November 13 restriction on cannabinoids the plant cannot naturally produce in place while moving other covered restrictions to December 11.

Extrajudicial Killings

SOUTHCOM Reports Five Killed in New Boat Strike as Regional Military Officials Meet. The US Southern Command said an October 27 strike on a boat in the Eastern Pacific killed five people it described as drug traffickers. Its announcement attributed the targeting to intelligence but did not disclose the underlying evidence. The strike coincided with an October 26-27 meeting in the Dominican Republic involving representatives of 19 nations to review a counter-cartel military campaign plan and a governance charter. Separately, Pentagon deputy chief of staff Patrick Weaver posted an image October 23 declaring, "WE'RE JUST GONNA KILL NARCOS." See also our boat-strike charts.

Massie Plans to Renew Hegseth Impeachment Effort After Midterms. The Hill reports that Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) said he would reintroduce impeachment articles against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after the midterm elections if Hegseth remains in office. Article V addresses extrajudicial killings, referring to the US military's lethal strikes on boats in Caribbean and Eastern Pacific international waters. Click here to read Article V in full on our site, or click here to read Rep. Massie's full impeachment articles.

Retired Coast Guard Officers Warn That Punishing Dissent Discourages Sound Legal Advice. Threats to military careers can suppress honest legal advice about military strikes on suspected drug boats, four retired Coast Guard officers argue in an article in Just Security. William D. Baumgartner, Stephen Chamberlin, Leanne Lusk and Brian McNamara distinguish complying with lawful civilian decisions from suppressing professional objections. They cite the removal of senior legal officers and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's rhetoric as reasons for concern, while acknowledging they do not know what advice officials gave privately. Their analysis emphasizes the need to protect officers who raise legal and operational objections as US drug law enforcement shifts from maritime interdiction to lethal targeting of suspected drug boats.

Duterte Defense Opposes Two Witnesses' Recorded Testimony Without Cross-Examination. VERA Files reports that former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte's lawyers oppose admitting two witnesses' recorded testimony without an opportunity to question them. Duterte faces crimes-against-humanity charges over his alleged role in killings during the anti-drug campaigns in Davao City and nationwide. The defense response, originally filed October 19 and publicly released in redacted form October 26, concerns P-1393 and P-1416; the defense does not oppose P-1370's recorded evidence. Victims' lawyers support admission.

The dispute concerns admission under Rule 68(2)(b), without the witnesses appearing in court. The defense says questioning is needed because the accounts concern disputed events and allegations against Duterte. It seeks live testimony, or admission under Rule 68(3) with questioning. This differs from the seven-witness application covered October 26, which provided for questioning. The cited document is a defense request, not a ruling excluding evidence.

Dela Rosa Again Urges Philippine Supreme Court to Block ICC Arrest. Rappler reports that lawyers for Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa have again asked the Philippine Supreme Court to reverse its refusal to provide interim protection against an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest. Dela Rosa's lawyer Israelito Torreon asked the court to act on the pending request on October 27, citing the government's designation of Dela Rosa as armed and dangerous and the P50 million reward offered for information leading to his arrest.

Philippine Truth Commission Video Examines the Church's Support for Drug-War Survivors. In an October 25 Philippine Truth Commission podcast, Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David and Fr. Daniel Franklin Pilario discuss the Church's role in providing sanctuary, rehabilitation, and continuing support for people affected by the drug war. The 44-minute video offers another entry point into the Commission's public work following its testimony coverage.

Truth Commission Announces Press Conference on Drug-War Death Certificates. The Philippine Truth Commission will hold a press conference Friday, October 30, at 9am in Manila, with forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun speaking as a member of the commission, seeking an investigation of doctors over what the commission describes as questionable death certificates in drug-war cases. The event will take place at Friendship Hall, Pope Pius Catholic Center, in Paco, Manila. The announcement invites media coverage and says journalists may also ask questions through livestreams on the commission's Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Rappler Debunks Claim That China Confirmed Political Collusion Behind Duterte's ICC Arrest. An October 26 fact-check by Rappler's Jade Florido examines social-media claims that the Chinese embassy confirmed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sent Rodrigo Duterte to The Hague at Senator Kiko Pangilinan's request and finds them lacking. The embassy had criticized Pangilinan's language in a dispute over China's ambassador; it did not confirm the alleged arrangement. Rappler also cites the ICC's statements that its judges act independently of the Philippine government. The social media posts circulated on October 21. See also Rappler's Duterte Fact Checks page for ICC-related misinformation.

(Misinformation, disinformation, and social media manipulation are worldwide democracy issues affecting the drug-war and human-rights situations we follow. Our Rule of Law resources include research on organized online disinformation and examples targeting Philippine opposition leaders. Rappler-affiliated The Nerve regularly investigates disinformation and social media manipulation, including narratives surrounding Duterte and the ICC.)

International

New Reporting Identifies Pentagon Funding for Ecuador Naval Center After Contractor Removes Announcement. The Hill's Filip Timotija reports that two unnamed US officials said the Pentagon is funding a naval training center in Guayaquil, Ecuador, which Ecuadorian forces would operate. One of the officials identified the funding as coming through the Title 10 capacity-building program. The article adds detail to our October 23 coverage of Culmen International's announcement and its disappearance from social media. The Hill reports that it contacted Culmen on October 16 and that the company removed its Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn posts days later. The company did not answer the outlet's renewed inquiry. The reason for the removals remains unexplained.

Mexican Judge Orders Former Chihuahua Prosecutor to Face Treason Trial Over CIA-Linked Drug Raid. The Associated Press reports that a Mexican federal judge ruled October 25 that former Chihuahua state prosecutor Cesar Jauregui must face trial on a treason charge arising from an alleged unauthorized joint operation with the CIA against a drug laboratory. The operation and cooperation came to light after two CIA officers and two Mexican officials died in a car wreck after the raid. Defense attorney Luis Villegas confirmed the decision.

U.S. and Colombia Announce Counterdrug Training Exercise at Tolemaida. El País' Juan Miguel Hernández Bonilla reports that more than 300 US troops were set to arrive in Colombia on October 27 for a joint training exercise at the Tolemaida military base in Cundinamarca department (the Colombian equivalent of a state or province). Known as Southern Vanguard, the exercise will run through November 11 and will include training in maritime interdiction, ground operations, cyber defense, and medical evacuation. Colombian critics of the move say the Colombian Congress must approve the presence of foreign troops, but President Abelardo de la Espriella's Trump-friendly government says training missions do not require such approval.

InSight Crime Examines Drug-Trafficking Groups and Financial Regulation After Brazil Election. In an analysis following Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's reelection on October 25, InSight Crime's Steven Dudley and Marina Cavalari argue that drug-trafficking organizations' expansion into financial markets and other illicit businesses poses a challenge for Brazil's next government. They cite money laundering through financial tech companies and other financial instruments and argue that effective enforcement will require stronger financial-sector oversight and international cooperation. They also note that an opposition-controlled Congress could hobble federal initiatives. And they connect drug trafficking groups such as the PCC and the Red Command to the wider economy.

Harm Reduction

Drugreporter Releases Video of Helen Clark's Visit to Melbourne Supervised Injecting Facility. Drugreporter has posted a video of former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark visiting the medically supervised injecting room in North Richmond, Melbourne. Uploaded October 24, the video was filmed during the 2023 international harm reduction conference. It shows an established service, rather than a newly opened facility or a visit this month.

Research

Global Drug Control, Treatment, Regulation and Harm Reduction

A special section of Health and Human Rights Journal, "Health, Rights, and the Future of Global Drug Control," brings together work on the human-rights basis for harm reduction, the World Health Organization's coca-leaf review, evidence and human rights in international drug-policy institutions, and the livelihoods of people growing prohibited crops. The section includes Daniel Wolfe on harm reduction, Martin Jelsma on the coca review, Ann Fordham's interview with Laura Gil, and Eric Gutierrez and Pedro Arenas on prohibited crops and the 2029 drug-policy review.

The November issue of the International Journal of Drug Policy includes papers on opioid treatment, drug checking, policing and overdose, cannabis taxation and markets, alcohol regulation, stigma and post-release health. Its December issue, still in progress, lists work on overdose prevention centers, solitary opioid use, drug testing in child protection, safer supply, housing barriers and treatment access. These topics appear in the journal's table of contents, rather than in a review of the individual papers' findings.

Events

Drug Checking and Overdose Prevention Webinar Takes Place October 29. The Network for Public Health Law will hold "Overdose Prevention: Utilizing Drug Checking Programs to Save Lives" on October 29 from 1-2:15pm Eastern. The webinar will address drug-checking evidence, the changing drug supply and the legal framework for programs. The event page provides registration information.

NYU Seminar Examines Population Health Effects of Incarceration and Decarceration. NYU Langone's Center for Opioid Epidemiology and Policy will host Yale researcher Yiran Liu for "From Mass Incarceration to Decarceration: Measuring the Population Health Effects of Criminal Legal Policies" on November 4 from 3-4pm Eastern. The seminar is offered in person at 180 Madison Avenue in New York and online; the official listing includes registration details.

Harm Reduction International Conference Set for Belfast in May 2027. Harm Reduction International will hold its 2027 conference at ICC Belfast from May 9 to 12. The conference website provides program and participation information, with early-bird registration available through January 15, 2027.

No on 8 Campaign Offers Virtual Phone-Banking Opportunities. The Massachusetts No on 8 campaign is recruiting volunteers for virtual phone banks from October 30 through November 3, opposing the marijuana rollback ballot measure. The campaign's sign-up page lists available sessions and participation information.

(This article was prepared by StoptheDrugWar.org's 501(c)(4) lobbying nonprofit, the Drug Reform Coordination Network, which also pays the cost of maintaining this website. DRCNet Foundation takes no positions on candidates for public office, in compliance with section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and does not pay for reporting that could be interpreted or misinterpreted as doing so.)

(AI technology assisted in the news gathering and initial stage drafting of this Daily Digest.)