Judge Delays DEA Cannabis Rescheduling Hearing Until Early 2025

The much-anticipated December 2 hearing scheduled by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for expert testimony regarding the rescheduling of cannabis under federal law has been delayed until January or February of next year, Marijuana Moment reports.

DEA Chief Administrative Law Judge John Mulrooney ruled Thursday to delay the hearing, saying officials needed more background info about the experts who were set to testify. Earlier this week, DEA Administrator Anne Milgram approved over two dozen witnesses for the hearing. Mulrooney asked for additional details on the speakers, writing in his order that there was “no indication … as to whether the ‘participants’ support or oppose the [proposed rulemaking] or how the ‘participants’ satisfy the ‘interested person’ definition set forth in the regulations.”

“Indeed, the [Participant Letter] contains only a list of persons and organizations accompanied by one or more email addresses, without the benefit of notices of appearance, addresses, or even phone numbers.” — Mulrooney, in the ruling, via Marijuana Moment

Mulrooney also asked in the order for the participants’ potential availability for January or February 2025, the report said, and gave until November 12 to submit the requested information.

The December 2 hearing will still happen but without expert testimony.

DEA first announced the hearing in August and cannabis advocates were already concerned that the extra procedural step — scheduled for after the presidential election — would cause unnecessary delays to the Biden Administration’s rescheduling effort. Now, the hearing has been delayed possibly until after the next president’s inauguration.

Vice President Kamala Harris (D), the Democratic nominee, said recently she would move to federally legalize adult-use cannabis if she is elected president, a significant departure from the Biden Administration stance.

Former President Donald Trump (R), the Republican nominee, said earlier this year that he supports rescheduling cannabis under the Controlled Substances Act but did not specifically call for federal legalization. However, the former president did say he would vote “yes” on the Florida ballot amendment to legalize cannabis.