The short answer
Cannabis is still a Schedule I drug under federal law. The rescheduling timeline has moved from a review to a proposed rule, but no final decision has been made. As of early 2025, the DEA has not issued a final rule. The process is not finished.
What rescheduling actually changes
Moving cannabis to Schedule III would not make it legal for recreational use. It would recognize accepted medical use and lower the federal barriers. For businesses, the biggest shift is tax treatment. Schedule III would remove the 280E tax burden that hits state-legal cannabis companies. For researchers, it would ease access to study the plant. For consumers, it could mean more consistent products and easier banking. Convenience has become a deciding factor in cannabis, and rescheduling touches that.
The timeline so far
- October 2022: President Biden asked HHS and the Attorney General to review how cannabis is scheduled.
- August 2023: HHS completed its review and recommended moving cannabis to Schedule III.
- May 2024: The DEA published a proposed rule to reschedule cannabis to Schedule III. That opened a public comment period.
- July 2024: The comment period closed. Thousands of comments came in.
- Late 2024: The DEA scheduled a hearing on the proposal. It was delayed, then set for early 2025.
No final rule has been published. The DEA has not made a decision.
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What happens next
The DEA will weigh the HHS recommendation, public comments, and the hearing record. Then it can issue a final rule, modify the proposal, or drop it. A final rule would go through the Office of Management and Budget and be published in the Federal Register. That could take months. Lawsuits are likely either way. If the DEA does nothing, cannabis stays Schedule I.
Why the timeline is not simple
Rescheduling is a regulatory process, not a vote in Congress. The Controlled Substances Act gives the Attorney General authority, and the DEA acts on that. The FDA does the scientific review. That means the timeline depends on agencies, not lawmakers. A new administration can slow it down or speed it up. That is why the cannabis rescheduling timeline is hard to predict.
What to watch
- Any DEA final rule in the Federal Register.
- The outcome of the administrative hearing.
- Signals from the White House and Congress.
- Court challenges from both supporters and opponents.
For now, plan for Schedule I to stay in place. If you operate in cannabis, build for the current rules. If rescheduling happens, be ready to adjust.