Drug Policy Alliance executive director Nadelmann stepping down

Ethan Nadelmann, founder and executive director of Drug Policy Alliance, said Friday he is vacating his post, though he’ll remain on the job until “late April,” he wrote in a letter posted online.

“I’ve decided that the time has come for me to step aside as head of DPA. My extraordinary colleagues are ready to take us into the future!” Nadelmann wrote on Twitter in making the initial announcement of his departure.

The DPA followed with its own statement on Twitter: “We are so grateful for everything you did to help shape the movement to end the war on drugs, Ethan, and we are indebted to your leadership.”

Nadelmann identified a likely successor as head of DPA: Former deputy executive director Derek Hodel will become the interim executive director until a permanent replacement is chosen.

In the online letter, Nadelmann said his decision was driven by multiple factors, including “a desire for new adventures and challenges.”

His announcement comes only weeks after the start of a congressional session that could prove to have long-term ramifications for the marijuana industry.

For example, Congress must decide before April 28 whether to reapprove the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment; if it does not, the Department of Justice would be able to use federal funds to prosecute individuals in the state-legal medical marijuana industry.