The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the DEA have officially moved FDA approved and state regulated medical marijuana products to Schedule III, while reaffirming that marijuana remains illegal under federal law and subject to strict controls.

This action follows up on a previous White House Executive Order issued in December of 2025 and is effective immediately. The DOJ and DEA also announced procedural steps to accelerate broader rulemaking to consider full rescheduling of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, including an administrative hearing scheduled to begin June 29, 2026. Federal officials emphasized that this action does not legalize marijuana and does not eliminate federal oversight.

While this action does not automatically or immediately change workers’ compensation coverage, it may inform future discussions, as evolving clinical research, now unhampered by federal restrictions, along with FDA-regulated marijuana products that may be approved in the future, could impact prescribing practices evolve over time.

Healthesystems is actively monitoring these federal developments and will continue to provide updates as the rescheduling process progresses.