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DEA Judge Issues Order Laying Out Process For Marijuana Rescheduling Hearing Starting This Month

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4 weeks ago

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A Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) judge has issued an initial order that establishes ground rules for a Hear about the Trump administration’s cannabis reorganization process it will start this month.

Chief Administrative Law Judge Derek Julius signed the 12-page order Thursday, setting initial deadlines for named parties to participate, which is under a separate. The DEA’s announcement this week features only opponents of cannabis reform.

Julius noted that the government, “as the sponsor of the proposed rule, bears the burden of proof” regarding Title III marijuana. Officials will have to submit the notice of government representatives’ appearances before Monday, he said.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche in April He issued an order that immediately reclassified the state’s licensed medical cannabisas well as marijuana products approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under Schedule I through Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).

According to a separate order signed by the acting Attorney General, in the upcoming hearing, marijuana III.

“Importantly, the scope of this hearing is not to discuss the rescheduling of FDA-approved medical products containing marijuana, and the rescheduling of medicinal marijuana products already regulated by states, which has already occurred,” the ALJ said in the new order. “Accordingly, no evidence or testimony will be received on that matter. The narrow issue in this matter is the rest of marijuana, as defined in the CSA, from its place in Schedule I to Schedule III of the list of controlled substances.

The hearing will be held at a DEA facility in Arlington, Virginia, and will begin June 29 and run through July 15, Julius said. The representatives of the appointed parties must be present, while the witnesses called must be present or via video conference.

The proceedings “will not be televised, live streamed or broadcast in any way”, the judge said, although citizens may attend due to “the national public interest of this matter”.

“Except for the function of a court reporter, permission to use video or audio recording devices at any time while inside the courtroom or adjacent lobby is expressly waived,” Julius wrote.

The order establishes a process for how each participant will present its case and for the government and stakeholders to cross-examine each other:

  • Each named party will have one day in which to present its case-in-chief.
  • Each named party will be given fifteen (15) minutes to make an opening statement. Opening statements will be made at the beginning of the Designated Party’s case-in-chief.
  • Each named party may present a maximum of two (2) witnesses. Each witness may testify in direct examination for no more than two (2) hours. If a named party elects to present only one witness, that witness may testify on direct examination for up to four (4) hours.
  • Each interested party may cross-examine (each) the Government’s witnesses for more than one (1) hour. The government may cross-examine each interested witness for more than one (1) hour. At the conclusion of the cross-examination of a particular witness, the calling party may redirect the witness for more than one (1) hour. Interested parties may not cross-examine each other’s witnesses.
  • Named Parties will not be allowed to see the proposed expert witnesses before they testify. All expert decisions will be made after a hearing and objections to expert qualifications must be made in writing.
  • Witnesses may not be in the courtroom before or after testifying.
  • Objections to the evidence or testimony will be heard during the hearing and must be made orally. At the time of presentation, the lawyer will mention the rule of his objection and the reason for the objection, the supporting evidence or testimony can respond briefly, I will decide on the objection and the hearing will continue without further discussion. See 21 CFR § 1316.60.
  • Rebuttal testimony, if any, will be limited. The undersigned will make decisions on rebuttal testimony at the hearing as they arise.
  • No time will be allowed for closing arguments. Each party will be given an opportunity to file post-hearing briefs in accordance with 21 CFR § 1316.64 21. Further instructions regarding this will be provided at the conclusion of the hearing.
  • Unless otherwise noted, designated parties may not spend more time in one area in exchange for more time in another area (eg, a party may not refuse a redirect in exchange for more of their live time).
  • Only one representative of a designated Party may apply to the court at a time.

“Using the information provided by the designated parties … no later than June 24, 2026, this court will issue a detailed hearing schedule, specifying the time each party will present its case, in a subsequent order,” the ALJ. he saidand he added that on the same day the named parties “must submit a short statement for hearing, which will not exceed twenty-five (25) pages”.

The next day, they will “exchange the proposed exhibits with each other and present the annotated and proposed exhibits,” Julius promised.

Pursuant to previous action by DEA Administrator Terrance Cole, the participants invited to the hearing are:

  • Drug and Alcohol Screening Association (NDASA)
  • Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
  • Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM)
  • The states of Nebraska, Idaho, Indiana and Louisiana
  • Voice of the Victims
  • Kenneth Finn, MD
  • Phillip A. Drum, PharmD

All organizations, individuals and officials have come out against marijuana reform, and some have filed lawsuits specifically trying to block cannabis reform.

Supporters of the reform who have expressed their intention to participate have not been invited.

According to several rejection letters seen by Marijuana Moment from cannabis reform advocates, the DEA said they do not meet the definition of “interested person” to participate because they “would not be harmed or harmed by any rule or proposed rule that may be issued.”

In a letter to the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), Cole wrote that the agency has “concluded that you have not demonstrated that you are harmed or harmed by the promulgation of a proposed rule to transfer marijuana, 21 CFR 1308.11(d)(23), marijuana extracts, (511)281 CFR 11, (3801) and 21 CFR 1308.11(d)(23). naturally derived delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinols from Schedules I through III of the CSA, as proposed in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM).

“In fact, you state that the DPA supports the removal of marijuana from Schedule I and ‘does not object’ to the transfer of marijuana to Schedule III. Furthermore, the DPA states that any harm it would suffer from the NPRM would be to schedule marijuana in Schedule III. Because the DPA has not sufficiently demonstrated that the proposed rule itself is harmed or harmed, the DEA concludes that the DPA is not an “interested person.”

“Accordingly, the DEA is denying your request to participate in the hearing,” Cole told DPA.

In order to be considered for participation in the hearing, the parties had to submit requests, indicating their interest in the procedure, the claims or issues they want to hear and their position on these issues.

“The purpose of the hearing is to ‘receive factual evidence and expert opinion’ on whether marijuana should be transferred to Schedule III of the controlled substance list,” Blanche’s initial statement in April said.

The attorney general will also select an administrative law judge (ALJ) to oversee the proceeding.

“The ALJ’s authority includes the power to hold conferences to simplify or determine the issues at the hearing or to consider other matters that may assist in the expeditious resolution of the hearing; to require the parties to state their position in writing; to sign and issue subpoenas; to compel the production of documents and materials to the extent necessary to conduct the hearing; to examine witnesses; to direct, exclude, or testify; the Rule on Procedural Matters and the President’s DEA Hearing Procedures and Administrative Procedure Actions allowed under the law, Blanch wrote.

Preliminary hearing process on the marijuana redistricting process initiated by the Biden administration It was halted last year amid allegations of improper communications and witness selection.

the current The marijuana redistricting process is being challenged in several ways which have been upheld by a federal Court of Appeals. those pieces of State attorneys general have filed lawsuits against cannabis reform, Opponents of marijuana legalization and a a cannabis-based biopharmaceutical corporation.

Meanwhile, the reorganization of state-licensed medical cannabis is already having a major impact.

The Congressional Research Service published a report on the current rescheduling of cannabis Certified patients with medical marijuana from state licensed dispensaries are now eligible for Class III. “The order appears to allow end users to use marijuana medically without a CSA prescription,” he says.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has published a Draft update to a gun purchase form to recognize the legal status of medical marijuana in the reprogramming. The revised section of the question states that only the “recreational use or possession of marijuana” is federally prohibited, omitting the prior form’s mention of medical cannabis.

The US Treasury and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) said they plan to issued new tax guidelines for the marijuana industry after reprogramming. The reform will benefit state-licensed marijuana businesses by allowing them to take federal tax deductions that are currently prohibited under IRS Code Section III, known as Section 280E.

Even the DEA, which has long opposed cannabis legalization and accused the Biden administration of stalling the initiative in the reorganization process, has done so. It launched a registration process for legal marijuana businesses in the state to take advantage of the federal benefits that come with the reform.

The Department of Transport, on the other hand, issued guidelines stating this use Legal medical cannabis in the state is still no excuse for truck drivers to test positive for drugspilots and other safety-sensitive personnel.

A congressional committee recently Federal officials voted to block further steps to reschedule cannabis.

Photo elements courtesy of the user rawpixel and Philip Steffan.

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New MÜV dispensary comes to Chicago

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5 hours ago

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July 15, 2026

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Verano Holdings announced the grand opening of MÜV Bradfordville on Friday, July 17, 2026, increasing the Company’s Florida retail footprint to 86 MÜV locations and 163 dispensaries nationwide. Located at 6808 Thomasville Rd, MÜV Bradfordville will be open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM and Sundays from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM local time.

On Friday, July 17, MÜV Bradfordville will hold a ceremonial ribbon cutting to celebrate the dispensary’s grand opening weekend. MÜV Bradfordville is the second MÜV dispensary in Leon County, Florida, adding another convenient location for area residents, complementing MÜV Tallahassee in the state capital.

“We are excited to continue expanding our Florida operations and welcome new patients and team members with the opening of MÜV Bradfordville, our second dispensary location in the Tallahassee region,” said George Archos, Verano’s founder and CEO. “Following the federal government’s historic announcement of medical cannabis rescheduling in April, we look forward to partnering with the local community and expanding patient access in the Capital Region to an extensive portfolio of award-winning, top-quality medical cannabis products.”

MÜV dispensaries offer online menus to browse their extensive and award-winning product selection, including the company’s Verano Reserve, MÜV and Sweet Supply flower; Encore and MÜV edibles; On the Rocks concentrates and extracts; (the) Essence, Savvy and MÜV flower, pre-rolls and extracts; HYPHEN vape pod system and more. In Florida, the Company also offers one-on-one virtual and in-store consultations at no cost to patients, and provides patient care services to resolve patient inquiries via phone, email, web chat and text.

For more information:
Summer Holdings
(email protected)
verano.com










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California’s Top Marijuana Regulator Says Local Bans ‘Benefit’ Illicit Market, With 97% Of Busts In Counties Without Legal Growers

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5 hours ago

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July 15, 2026

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About 97 percent of the marijuana seized by California officials in the state’s no-go areas came from counties that continue to ban licensed growers, new data from the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) reveals.

This shows how local governments that have refused to comply with California’s legalization law passed by voters 10 years ago are “benefiting” the illegal market, the state’s top cannabis regulator told State Affairs, which has obtained and reported the data for the first time.

The DCC has repeatedly argued that the current patchwork regulatory system — where localities are able to choose or refuse to allow certain types of licensed marijuana businesses to operate in their area — is a key factor in keeping the state’s illegal cannabis trade alive.

It creates barriers to access for mature consumers, while allowing unlicensed operators to operate in a policy vacuum. To address the problem, the state created the Joint Cannabis Enforcement Task Force (UCETF) in 2022 to coordinate multi-agency enforcement actions against illegal growers, manufacturers and sellers.

Through this work, DCC has been able to put the issue of local control into perspective. Based on data from enforcement activity from October 2022 to August 2025, the department found that 96.6 percent of the illegal marijuana seized by the UCETF in unzoned areas of the state was found in eight counties, nearly all of which maintain local bans on licensed marijuana growers.

DCC Director Clint Kellum said, “Cannabis is used in every community, regardless of local regulations,” and while localities can ban licensed shops, “they can’t take away consumer demand.”

“When local governments deny consumers access to licensed retailers, they benefit the illegal market and organized crime, while harming public health and safety,” he said. say State affairs

Kellum added that the department “will continue to put pressure on illegal operators, especially when the activity involves organized crime, illegal transport and distribution, illegal manufacturing, diversion, threats to the licensed market, environmental damage, labor exploitation or conduct that crosses jurisdictional boundaries.”

The DCC released the county-level data as Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) touted the state’s work in seizing 63,000 pounds of illegal cannabis worth more than $104 million and destroying more than 89,000 cannabis plants between April and June.

All told, the multi-agency task force has seized more than 841,000 pounds (or 420 tons, as the governor’s office noted in a press release) since it was formed four years ago.

“Disrupting the illegal cannabis market is about more than seizing unlicensed products: it’s about taking down criminal networks, taking illegal firearms out of the hands of dangerous people and stopping activities that threaten public safety,” the governor said. “Through strong multi-agency collaboration, California is making it clear: If you threaten our communities, we will act.”

Newsom, meanwhile, is term-limited, but California’s gubernatorial candidates from both major parties support legalization. Republican Steve Hilton, who supports President Donald Trump, recently told Marijuana Moment that The taxes and regulations on cannabis are “high”.

Not all California Republicans are on board with reform, however. The vice president of the State Senate Budget Committee has floated the idea putting a new initiative on the state ballot to “return” Proposition 64.for example, arguing that voters were misled and expressing concerns about the health effects of marijuana use.

“We have seen significant negative consequences of this legalization, both here and in other states,” the senator was speaking at a hearing with lawmakers. He passed a bill to legalize drive-thru marijuana dispensaries in Californiahe said

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra, who previously served in Congress and as California’s attorney general, instead facilitated a scientific review process during his time as secretary of health and human services in the Biden administration that ultimately led to the decriminalization of cannabis under Title III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).

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Meanwhile, California regulators have just approved emergency rule changes to the state’s marijuana licensing process. to make it easier for companies to receive benefits In line with the Trump administration’s recent decision to move forward with medical cannabis reregulation.

A was also launched New AI tool to help companies identify marijuana product packaging may appeal to kids violating state regulations.

Separately, Newsom recently He took credit for helping lead the state’s push to legalize marijuana and discussed his limited experience with cannabis use.

In October, however, the governor vetoed a bill that would have It allowed micro-marijuana companies to ship medicinal cannabis directly to patients Through common carriers like FedEx and UPS, he said the proposal would be “too burdensome and complex to manage.”

Newsom signed a bill earlier this month streamlining research into marijuana and psychedelics.

In September, the governor also signed a measure pause on the recent tax increase on marijuana products.

Separately, the state attorney general says Indian tribes cannot independently participate in the marijuana trade with licensed cannabis businesses without obtaining their own commercial license from state officials.

California officials have recently been rewarded nearly $30 million in grants for marijuana-focused academic research projects.

Photo by Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.

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FDA Finalizes Guidance On ‘Unique Challenges’ Of Psychedelic Research And Schedules Hearing On Therapeutic Uses

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1 day ago

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July 14, 2026

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has called it quits guidance to assist researchers studying the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics navigate the “special challenges” of research. The agency also announced that it will hold a public hearing on psychedelic therapy issues in September.

“In recent years, interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs has increased,” says the FDA document published Monday.

“Drug development programs for psychedelic drugs are subject to the same regulatory and evidentiary standards for approval as other drug development programs,” the agency wrote. “However, designing clinical studies to assess the safety and efficacy of these products presents several unique challenges.”

Psychedelics can “produce intense perceptual disturbances and alterations in consciousness that can last for hours or days,” and “can have both immediate and long-term benefits after a single or few doses,” the FDA said.

The guidance, titled “Psychedelic Drugs: Considerations for Clinical Research,” notes that psychedelics are “an emerging area of ​​drug development” and provides considerations for sponsors of research into substances such as psilocybin, LSD, and MDMA.

Among other areas, the FDA is issuing recommendations on how to handle psychedelic studies on issues such as chemistry, manufacturing, abuse potential and clinical pharmacology.

He notes that designing well-controlled studies of psychedelics can be particularly difficult “due to the often intense perceptual changes induced by drugs.”

“This increases the potential for bias due to functional distortion of patients, therapists, monitors, or assessors,” the FDA document says. “Functional blinding may lead to expectancy bias in patients experiencing or observing perceptual disturbances, which may lead the participant to expect clinical benefit; alternatively, those receiving placebo and not experiencing or observing perceptual changes may expect the participant to experience no benefit.”

the final orientation It’s based on a draft the FDA originally published in 2023 and comes months after President Donald Trump published one. executive order aimed at expanding and accelerating research into the potential therapeutic benefits of psychedelics.

The agency said it had considered it the comments received in response to the draft version, and is also accepting additional public comments on the final document, the FDA said in a Federal Register. notice.

Meanwhile, the FDA also announced on Monday that it will hold a public hearing on September 14 “to obtain feedback and insights on issues related to the potential future therapeutic use of drug products containing psychedelic drug substances in a supervised and supportive environment.”

“The hearing will be chaired by an FDA panelist, including subject matter experts from the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, as well as panelists from federal partners,” the agency said in a Federal Register filing. notice about hearing.

FDA invites interested parties to submit submissions on specific issues at the hearing, but has made it clear that it does not invite comments on certain issues.

“FDA and our federal partners are interested in public input on the future therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs in oversight and support settings, including: (1) provider training and credentialing, (2) promoting patient safety, (3) access considerations, and (4) best practices for data collection and standardization,” he said.

“FDA does not seek comment on the following matters: (1) the safety or efficacy of a particular drug product, or the merits of any pending or planned application to the Agency; (2) the scheduling status of any substance under the Controlled Substances Act, which is governed by separate statutory processes; (3) the legalization or decriminalization of psychedelic substances by state or local programs. It welcomes input on data collection for the programs described above. (4) religious, ceremonial or personal (non-medical) use of psychedelic substances or (5) comments and presentations on these matters will not be considered.

The FDA and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced steps in April to help “expediting” therapeutic access to psychedelics for patients suffering from serious mental health conditions.

In May, a bipartisan coalition of 32 members of Congress sent a letter Urging the FDA to expedite ongoing reviews of psychedelic therapies.

This month, lawmakers introduced a new bill that would require the Department of Defense (DOD) to assess how it is doing. research into the therapeutic benefits of psilocybin may help members of the military.

A separate bilateral measure introduced recently is intended Make Trump’s psychedelic executive order law.

A pending amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act would be proposed extend psychedelic research at DOD for another six years.

Photo elements courtesy of the user carlosemmaskype and Apollo.

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