This past August, the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced plans to hold an administrative hearing on its proposal to move “marijuana” from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act — the most restrictive category — to Schedule III.

Read our previous report here.

The hearing was scheduled for December 2. However, last week a DEA administrative law judge (ALJ) ruled that because the DEA erred in its presentation of witnesses for the December 2 hearing, witness statements and testimony likely will not be heard until early 2025 at the earliest. If the ALJ’s ruling stands, this would punt the final decision regarding the rescheduling of marijuana to the next Presidential Administration. We will provide a further update when (and if) the DEA administrative hearing is rescheduled.