Washington, DC: The US Department of Justice on Friday announced that it has granted federal registrations to over 900 state-licensed medical cannabis dispensaries.
Over 6,000 operators had applied for registrations following the Attorney General’s order in April reclassifying state-authorized medical cannabis products. That order for the first time established “a new registration pathway for state-licensed medical cannabis entities seeking federal registration.”
Commenting on the agency’s issuance of the new registrations, AG Todd Blanche said, “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.”
Thus far, federal officials have only granted registrations to operators exclusively dispensing medical cannabis products. State-licensed operators that sell adult-use cannabis products, or who hold dual licensure, do not yet appear to be eligible to receive federal registrations. “Applicants must operate under a state medical marijuana regulatory framework consistent with federal law and the United States’ international treaty obligations,” the Justice Department affirmed in its press release.
Administrative hearings on the matter of rescheduling all botanical cannabis took place this summer, but the judge in the case has yet to render a decision.
The Justice Department’s press release is available from the Office of Public Affairs. Additional information on cannabis rescheduling is available from the NORML Fact Sheet, ‘Cannabis Rescheduling: Myths Versus Reality.’