Ahead of the delayed and highly anticipated cannabis rescheduling hearings, now set to take place in early 2025, the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has suggested it could add more participants.
Last week, DEA Chief Administrative Law Judge John J. Mulrooney II rejected the Veterans Action Council’s (VAC) petition to participate in the upcoming hearing on whether to reschedule cannabis from a Schedule I compound to a Schedule III.
The VAC, one of many organisations to request a seat at the table during the upcoming hearing, called the denial a ‘travesty of justice’, adding that while rescheduling was positive, it is ‘inadequate to address veterans needs’.
Furthermore, the cannabis advocacy organization for military veterans also argued that the proposed Schedule 3 classification is inappropriate for a $32 billion industry and would not fully address the tax burdens imposed by Section 280E of the tax code.
Despite the denial, a footnote in the order suggested that the DEA’s decision to exclude the VAC ‘may not be altogether settled’, leading many to speculate changes to the list of participants could be on the way.
In October, the initial list of 25 participants was publicly announced, but it has since undergone numerous changes.
The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine missed a procedural deadline, while an oncologist representing the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine declined to participate.
Notably, five remaining participants share legal representation by David Evans, a prominent anti-cannabis advocate, highlighting the polarized nature of the hearings.
The December 2, 2024, hearing, previously expected to kick off the rescheduling process, will now focus on scheduling participant availability for 2025.
