DEA Judge Pauses Marijuana Rescheduling Hearing Over Process Gaps

Key Facts

A DEA administrative law judge paused the marijuana rescheduling hearing due to federal process gaps. Benzinga reported that the stay was issued following a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that identified procedural deficiencies in how federal drug-scheduling is handled.

The pause has triggered a requirement for the DEA to respond on whether the record should be reopened to address these gaps. This delay creates regulatory uncertainty for the cannabis industry, stalling a key legal catalyst that market participants had been monitoring for sector growth.