The White House issued an Executive Order that orders the Attorney General to take all necessary steps to complete the rulemaking process related to rescheduling marijuana to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act in the most expeditious manner in accordance with Federal law. While the rulemaking process will still take time to unfold, with many legal challenges and speed bumps to expect along the way, this action makes it clear that the DEA has been given direct priority to reschedule marijuana. Marijuana’s current status as a Schedule I drug creates many roadblocks for clinical research, but this change will allow for greater clinical research, which could further shape the landscape of medical marijuana. First and foremost, drug developers would face fewer hurdles in creating medications derived from marijuana, which could result in FDA-approved medications. Additionally, an increase in clinical research could lead to greater insights that could better shape marijuana policies and therapies.
