Village Farms to testify at marijuana rescheduling hearing

Village Farms (VFF) was one of 25 participants selected to participate in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s upcoming Administrative Law Judge hearing regarding the proposed rescheduling of marijuana in the United States from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act. Village Farms was the only cannabis industry operator selected to participate in the Rescheduling Hearing, which is currently expected to take place sometime in January or February 2025. Village Farms’ Global Cannabis General Counsel, Dr. John Harloe, will represent the Company as a selected witness at the Rescheduling Hearing. Dr. Harloe and Shane Pennington, who serves as external counsel to the Company as a partner at Porter Wright Morris & Arthur, LLP, share a common interest in advancing effective cannabis policy in the United States. Mr. Pennington has published extensively on topics related to administrative law and drug policy, including the private nondelegation doctrine, the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, judicial deference to administrative agencies, and bureaucratic management and the limits of presidential power. Harloe concluded, “I am honored to represent Village Farms as the only cannabis industry operator selected to participate, and look forward to the opportunity to share our perspective and insight during this pivotal moment for our industry. We are one of the largest growers of cannabis in the world, and our teams have been intricately involved as subject matter experts in the legalization process with regulators in the State of Colorado and the government of Canada. Our participation at this hearing can shine a bright light on the positive economic, medical, and social impacts that a properly-regulated cannabis industry can have in the United States.”