DEA

A chief administrative law judge ruled Thursday to delay the DEA’s hearing for expert testimony on the rescheduling of cannabis under federal law until likely January or February 2025.

The DEA is proposing revised 2024 and new 2025 production quotas for research-grade psychedelics including psilocybin, psilocin, and ibogaine. The agency says the new production rates are needed to drive new research.

The DEA has scheduled a December 2 hearing to review expert opinions on the proposed rescheduling of cannabis to a Schedule III drug, adding a procedural step that could delay the process until after the November election.

About nine out of every ten comments submitted to the DEA on the proposal to federally reschedule cannabis either favored the reforms or called on the government to go further and remove cannabis entirely from the federal drug schedule.

While federal lawmakers consider banning most hemp-derived cannabinoid products, the hemp industry is facing another potential threat after a DEA official said the federal 0.3% delta-9 THC cap also applies to delta-9 THCA, which is a similar compound.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and Department of Justice on Tuesday published the rule proposal for moving cannabis to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The publication kicks off a 61-day public comment period, a CSA requirement.

Joe Biden has announced that the US Justice Department is moving cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III. In his announcement, he stated that he is committed to “righting the wrongs” of prohibition, though Schedule III status doesn’t do anything specific to help those currently incarcerated.

The DEA has reportedly agreed to reschedule cannabis under Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act, in accordance with the FDA’s recent recommendation. While this development could loosen financial restrictions for brands operating in state markets, advocates have pointed out that it does not resolve the ongoing social injustices surrounding cannabis criminalization, and that it could benefit larger corporate entities that are angling to dominate the market.

Eight months after the federal Department of Health and Human Services recommended moving cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III, a coalition of Congressional lawmakers this week urged the DEA to make its decision as quickly as possible.

FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said during testimony before a House committee this week that there’s “no reason” for the DEA to “delay” its cannabis rescheduling decision.

Twelve Senate Democrats have urged the Biden Administration to remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, countering a recent HHS recommendation for Schedule III that is currently being reviewed by the DEA.

Is the DEA planning to change the scheduling status of cannabis under the Controlled Substances Act? In a leaked letter to Congress, the agency has asserted their control over any decision about rescheduling or descheduling the plant.

After Georgia made it legal for pharmacies to dispense low-THC cannabis oils in October, the Drug Enforcement Administration has apparently sent warning letters to several pharmacies in the state.

Fourteen Republican lawmakers have sent a letter to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram, urging the agency to reject the recent Department of Health and Human Services recommendation to reclassify cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under federal law.

In a letter to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram, U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) asked why the agency has not taken steps to reconsider cannabis’ status as a Schedule I substance.

A recently revealed letter confirms that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration considers delta-8 THC that has been synthesized from hemp-derived CBD — so, the vast majority of consumer delta-8 products — to be federally illegal.

Cannabis research company MMJ International Holdings is preparing a lawsuit against the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for allegedly failing to follow federal law as it concerns the cultivation of pharmaceutical cannabis.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) appears to support considering synthetic cannabinoids that contain THC — including hemp-derived delta-8 THC — as controlled substances under federal law, according to a recent agency conference presentation.

The DEA declared this week that novel cannabinoids including delta-9 and -8 THCO are illegal, even when sourced from federally legal hemp crops.

DEA Museum historian Kasey Sease, Ph.D. admitted that the reasons for criminalizing drug use were based on racial, ethnic, and class prejudice. 

DEA pharmaceutical cannabis license-holder Biopharmaceutical Research Company has raised $20 million in its Series A funding round. 

Shane Pennington is the New York-based counsel for Vicente Sederberg LLP, a national cannabis law firm that represents cannabis industry clients and works on state and local cannabis policy reform.