The federal government’s second witness at the DEA marijuana rescheduling hearing came with a résumé that raised more questions than it answered.
Dr. Cory Burchman, a retired anesthesiologist from New Hampshire who stopped seeing patients in 2019, took the stand Tuesday afternoon to testify that marijuana is an effective pain treatment and a safer alternative to opioids. What emerged during cross-examination was a portrait of a witness deeply embedded in the very industry whose products he was there to champion.
The affiliations came out one by one. Burchman currently holds an advisory role at Teahouse, a marijuana dispensary in Vermont. He runs something called the Pavilion Group, which he described as a vehicle to help minorities “pursue opportunities in the marijuana space.” He sat on the board of a New Hampshire marijuana dispensary. He consults for Hemp for Victory, a nonprofit focused on veterans and medical cannabis. The list went on.
Yet Burchman testified he had never even looked at Teahouse’s products. He never examined how they were packaged, labeled, or sold. He didn’t know if one of their products was called “Blueberry Lobster.” He couldn’t speak to “Cherry Pie Flower” or “Girl Scout Cookie” marijuana. He was affiliated with the shop. He just hadn’t bothered to look at what it sold.
That contradiction prompted multiple objections during his testimony, from Patrick Kenneally on behalf of Dr. Kenneth Finn, and from David Evans of NDASA, challenging the relevance of Burchman’s personal clinical anecdotes, his qualifications to testify about marijuana quality, and whether his direct examination strayed beyond what the government had disclosed. Ultimately, the Administrative Law Judge allowed a standing objection and told parties to argue weight in closing.
It’s a credibility problem the government will have to answer for. When your expert witness on marijuana’s medical value holds paid or advisory roles across multiple cannabis industry entities, while unable to identify his own client dispensary’s products, the appearance of bias isn’t subtle. It’s on the record.
The cross-examination continues on Wednesday.