Ryan Brandstrom
Husband. Father of five. Lifelong ADHD patient. Now facing federal charges in St. Paul, Minnesota over ADHD medicine during the nationwide Adderall shortage — and representing himself at trial.
When the medicine my doctor prescribed disappeared from every pharmacy in the state, I did what millions of Americans with ADHD were forced to do: I looked for a way to keep functioning for my family and my job. Federal agents later raided our home with my wife and children inside. Now the federal government wants to send me to prison. This site tells the whole story, in my own words and with the court record, so you can decide for yourself.
Every juror has a conscience. That’s the point of a jury.
The Constitution guarantees a trial by a jury of ordinary citizens — not by prosecutors, not by agencies. For more than 300 years, juries have been the community’s final check on laws applied harshly or unjustly, from the trial of John Peter Zenger to juries that refused to convict under the Fugitive Slave Act. A juror’s not-guilty vote can never be overturned, and no juror can be punished for it.
The case at a glance
| Case | United States v. Ryan Brandstrom, Criminal No. 24-cr-234 (JWB/DLM) |
|---|---|
| Court | U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota — St. Paul |
| Judge | U.S. District Judge Jerry W. Blackwell |
| Charges (alleged) | Conspiracy to distribute amphetamine, distribution, possession with intent to distribute, and money laundering |
| The medicine | Amphetamine — the active ingredient in Adderall, a prescription ADHD medication. Not a narcotic under federal law. |
| Representation | Ryan is representing himself (pro se), with court-appointed standby counsel |
| Trial | Friday, October 23, 2026, 9:30 a.m., Courtroom 7A, St. Paul |
Full case details, timeline and court filings →
My story
ADHD, a prescription that couldn’t be filled, a community of patients in the same boat, and an armed federal raid on a family home.
The Adderall shortage
The FDA declared a nationwide Adderall shortage in October 2022. Patients were left with prescriptions no pharmacy could fill.
The federal case
What the government alleges, what Ryan says, the judge’s rulings so far, and what happens at trial.
Jury rights
What jury nullification is, where it comes from, and why juries remain the conscience of the community.
Medicine is not narcotics
News reports and court papers about drug cases often lump everything together as “drugs” or “narcotics.” This case is about amphetamine — the same medicine in Adderall, prescribed every day to millions of children and adults with ADHD. Federal law does not define amphetamine as a narcotic. No heroin, no fentanyl, no opioids. I have never taken or sold narcotics.
“There’s a difference between necessary prescribed medicine and narcotics. The world has changed, and I’m just asking people to realize that.”— Ryan Brandstrom