Politics
DEA Officially Grants Federal Registration And Protections To More Than 900 Medical Marijuana Dispensaries
The Trump administration has issued federal registrations to hundreds of medical marijuana dispensaries in states across the U.S. in line with the process of federally rescheduling cannabis, Attorney General Todd Blanche has announced.
“The American people deserve access to the best medical treatments in the world,” the attorney general said on Friday. “The regulated distribution of medical marijuana by the applicants that have been granted registration by the Drug Enforcement Administration will help ensure broader access to chronic pain treatment and the safety of the American people.”
“The Department of Justice will continue prosecuting illegal marijuana trafficking and related criminal activity in accordance with federal law,” he added.
The Department of Justice said the registrations “mark the first phase of implementing” marijuana rescheduling.
The initial registrations include more than 900 dispensaries in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.
The first batch of registrations is being granted to businesses that submitted their applications during a 60-period for expedited consideration.
DEA separately announced on Friday that nearly 7,000 medical marijuana businesses have already applied for federal protections under rescheduling.
The agency began accepting registrations from medical cannabis dispensaries with a new form in April, days after Attorney General Todd Blanche issued an order immediately moving marijuana products regulated by a state medical cannabis license from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to Schedule III, along with marijuana products that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Earlier this month, DEA launched new specialized registration forms for additional types of state-licensed medical marijuana businesses such as manufacturers, distributors and analytical labs.
A DEA hearing that recently concluded testimony is considering broader marijuana rescheduling beyond medical cannabis.
“State licensure alone does not automatically grant federal registration,” DOJ said on Friday. “Registered dispensaries will be subject to applicable federal requirements, including security, recordkeeping, inventory controls, and other safeguards governing the handling of controlled substances.”
DEA will continue processing dispensary applications and issuing registrations “through a phased registration process,” the department said, while also beginning to consider registration applications from medical cannabis manufacturers and distributors, which require additional review such as facility inspections, production controls and quota determinations.
