Technician Jamal Watts urges Board to reinstate license, describes sobriety since 2021

A disciplinary committee of the California Board of Pharmacy on March 12 received testimony from Jamal Darrell Watts, who petitioned to reinstate a pharmacy technician license revoked after a positive pre-employment drug test for cocaine.

Deputy Attorney General Nicole Trauma summarized the underlying facts: a positive test on Oct. 2, 2020 led to an accusation alleging unlawful possession of a controlled substance and other charges, and the board revoked the technician license effective Aug. 18, 2021. Watts filed a petition for reinstatement and submitted a packet that included letters of recommendation and certificates. The people identified an issue in the packet: 1 of the recommendation letters was later the subject of a declaration by pharmacist Trang Anh Tran saying she had not written or authorized the letter in question; the declaration was admitted as an exhibit and prompted questioning during the hearing.

Watts testified under oath that he has maintained sobriety since June 15, 2021, attended residential treatment at a Tarzana facility in December 2021 through March 2022, completed an outpatient aftercare program at Kaiser Permanente, and continues to attend 12-step meetings and work with a sponsor. He told the committee he moved into a monitored sober-living home, Silver Souls Ranch, in June 2024; the facility conducts drug screening, he said, and he participates in regular group work and peer meetings there. He also described medical care for Crohn’s disease and use of prescribed medications, including medications prescribed by a psychiatrist; he said those medications are taken as prescribed.

The prosecution noted the disputed recommendation from pharmacist Tran and said the declaration raised questions about judgment and documentation in the petition packet. Ms. Trauma said the people would not recommend reinstatement in light of the disputed document and also highlighted that the petition packet did not include an independent psychological evaluation or documents documenting attendance at some of the treatment programs Watts described.

Watts acknowledged the disputed letter was the result of a miscommunication and apologized. He told the committee he would accept conditions if the board offered reinstatement, including probationary terms and random drug testing paid by him.

The committee closed the hearing record and submitted the matter for closed-session deliberation; it did not announce a decision at the March 12 meeting.