Controlled Substances Act

At the recent Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in Chicago (Oct. 8 and 9), Emily Paxhia, founding partner and managing partner of Poseidon Investment Management, shared her thoughts on one of the most pressing legal battles facing the cannabis industry. Speaking shortly after her panel, Paxhia...

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has denied testimony from key witnesses ahead of scheduled hearings to discuss the potential classification of two psychedelic compounds, 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI) and 2,5-dimethoxy-4-chloroamphetamine (DOC), as Schedule I substances. According...

As Election Day approaches, the cannabis industry is closely watching Kamala Harris‘s pro-legalization stance, since the Democratic nominee is the first presidential candidate on a ticket explicitly advocating for marijuana reform. Pablo Zuanic, a highly regarded equity analyst in the...

A group of cannabis companies filed an appeal challenging a federal court decision to uphold cannabis prohibition under the U.S. Controlled Substances Act (CSA). This appeal, led by renowned attorney David Boies, contests the dismissal of a high profile lawsuit aimed at blocking federal enforcement...

The deadline for public comments on the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) rescheduling proposal concluded on Monday July 22. This marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing process of potentially reclassifying certain controlled substances, with significant administrative steps lying...

Nearly 150 social workers have issued a call to President Joe Biden to remove marijuana entirely from the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA), despite the administration’s proposal to downgrade the substance from Schedule I to Schedule III. The letter, sent last week, stressed the urgent...

Doctors for Drug Policy Reform (D4DPR), a non-profit organization representing over 400 physicians and licensed medical practitioners, recently released a position paper outlining the critical need to deschedule cannabis entirely from the U.S. Controlled Substances Act (CSA), moving beyond the...

A groundbreaking court case filed in Massachusetts against U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has captured the attention of the cannabis industry, promising to potentially reshape its future. The lawsuit challenges the federal government's classification of state-legal cannabis operations as...

Researchers funded by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) developed innovative, cost-effective forensic methods to measure the exact amount of THC present in a cannabis sample, aiming to accurately differentiate hemp from marijuana. Expensive Precision For A Costly And Outdated War The...

A controlled substance is a drug or chemical whose manufacture, possession, and use are regulated by the government. The regulation takes into account factors such as medical use, potential for abuse, and safety or dependence liability. Under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), substances are...

A group of 12 Democratic U.S. senators are urging the Drug Enforcement Administration this week to fully legalize cannabis. Led by Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and John Fetterman (D-Penn.), the senators sent a letter signed by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), to Attorney General Merrick...

Indiana Democrats propose bills to legalize medical and adult-use cannabis, challenging federal prohibition and signaling major policy shift. In a move challenging federal cannabis prohibition, Indiana’s Democratic Senators Rodney Pol and David Niezgodski have introduced bills to legalize...

On Dec. 12, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Justice Department jointly released a proposed rule to place 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI) and 2,5-dimethoxy-4-chloroamphetamine (DOC) in Schedule I under the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Both DOI and DOC are...

In a significant development, Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) has reintroduced the Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) 2.0 Act, signaling a renewed effort to end federal marijuana prohibition in states where it is legal. The revised bill, co-sponsored by Rep. Lori...

Governors of Colorado, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Louisiana have collectively urged President Biden to reschedule cannabis to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act by year-end. This move, they argue, will align government policy with public opinion, where 88% of Americans...