US drug regulators restart the process to reclassify marijuana, again

The US Drug Enforcement Administration is withdrawing its previous notice for a hearing on rescheduling marijuana. It will now initiate new hearing proceedings to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. This means the process to potentially ease federal restrictions on marijuana is being reset, but not stopped.

The federal government has classified marijuana as a Schedule I drug for decades, putting it in the same category as heroin. This classification has made research difficult and created legal conflicts with states that have legalized marijuana. Restarting the hearing process means the DEA is still moving towards reclassification, which could significantly change how marijuana is regulated, researched, and taxed at the federal level.