The long-anticipated DEA hearing on broad marijuana rescheduling begins June 29 in Arlington, Virginia and runs through July 15. The hearing will determine whether marijuana, beyond the medical products already reclassified by Acting AG Todd Blanche in April, should move from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act.
There is an important procedural wrinkle: DEA selected only opponents of reform as hearing participants. Pro-reform organizations including NORML and the Drug Policy Alliance filed emergency requests for reconsideration after receiving rejection letters. DEA has cast reform supporters as not qualifying as “interested persons” under its own criteria, a striking posture given that DEA is technically the proponent of the rescheduling rule and carries the burden of proof.
On the government side, DEA’s witness list does include a pain management physician who will testify that medical marijuana benefits pain patients, a signal the agency intends to affirmatively defend rescheduling even without reform-friendly designated parties at the table.
The proceedings will not be livestreamed. Marijuana Moment, Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), and media organizations including the New York Times urged DEA Administrator Terrance Cole to reverse that decision, citing the agency’s own acknowledgment of “national public interest” in the matter. Members of the public may attend in person at the DEA facility in Arlington. TCPC will be monitoring developments and reporting back as the hearing progresses through mid-July.
Read more: Top 5 Things to Know About the DEA Rescheduling Hearing (Vicente LLP) | DEA Picks Only Opponents for Rescheduling Hearing (Marijuana Moment) | Push to Livestream the Hearing (Marijuana Moment) | DEA Will Highlight Marijuana’s Medical Benefits in Hearing