Today (June 29), the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration administrative law judge opened formal hearings to determine whether cannabis should be moved from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. The proceedings, scheduled to run through July 15 with a brief Independence Day recess, stem from President Donald Trump’s December 2025 executive order and will determine whether Schedule III status should be extended to all cannabis, building on an April 2026 interim order that reclassified only FDA-approved cannabis products and state-licensed medical marijuana. A final rule extending Schedule III to all cannabis would provide broad tax relief to state-licensed operators by exempting them from the Section 280E federal tax provision.
The hearings have drawn criticism from cannabis reform advocates, who protested outside DEA headquarters after the agency limited participation to organizations and individuals opposed to rescheduling, arguing that supporters did not meet the legal definition of an “interested person.” Advocacy groups, including Students for Sensible Drug Policy and NORML, criticized the exclusion of medical experts, legal cannabis businesses, and reform organizations, while also objecting to the DEA’s decision not to livestream the proceedings. Although the agency said it will publish transcripts after the hearings conclude, critics argued that the lack of real-time public access undermines transparency.
