DEA Kicks Off Historic Hearing On Cannabis Rescheduling Proposal
The hearing is scheduled to run from June 29 through July 15
The Drug Enforcement Administration kicks off its hearing on a proposal to reclassify recreational cannabis under federal drug laws. The DEA rescheduled medical cannabis in FDA-approved drugs and from state-licensed operators in April, marking the most significant change in U.S. cannabis policy in half a century.
The DEA hearing, which is scheduled to run from June 29 through July 15, is designed to review the agency’s May 21 proposal to move cannabis from Schedule I of the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to Schedule III. Such a move would have a significant impact on the regulated adult-use cannabis industry, which would be freed of punitive tax policies for businesses that sell Schedule I drugs.
Cannabis Reform Proponents Wary Of Exclusion From Hearing
Because the rescheduling proposal originated with the DEA, the agency will serve as the proponent of the reform through the hearing. As a result, only individuals and groups opposed to rescheduling will be allowed to testify, leading many cannabis reform advocates to be skeptical of the process.
The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws sought to testify at the hearing, arguing that cannabis should be removed from the CSA altogether.
“Marijuana cannot lawfully remain in Schedule I,” Joseph A. Bondy, chair of NORML’s board of directors, said in a statement from the cannabis policy reform advocacy group. “But Schedule III is not the end of the road. It is, at most, an interim correction. It does not resolve the federal government’s continued failure to recognize adult cannabis consumers who are acting lawfully under state law.”
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