U.S. Drug Agency Schedules Cannabis Hearing

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has scheduled a Dec. 2 hearing on its proposal to lower the classification of marijuana to the less dangerous level of Schedule III, according to a public announcement late Monday.

The DEA had never issued any timeline for its process to potentially change the Schedule I classification of cannabis for the first time since the Controlled Substances Act went into effect in 1970. Still, some in the cannabis industry had hoped for a final decision before the U.S. election.

The DEA had already received 43,000 comments on its proposal, initially made on May 21, with a comment period that closed late in July. The DEA said the comments included requests to hold a public hearing.

DEA administrator Anne Milgram said she would determine who will participate in the hearing and name a presiding officer to run the meeting, which will take place on Dec. 2 at 9 a.m. Eastern Time at 700 Navy Drive, Arlington, Virginia.

The government said the meeting may also be moved to a different location, continued from day to day, or recessed to a later date without notice.