Marijuana Moment Challenges DEA Livestream Ban for June 29 Cannabis Hearing as Opponents Dominate Witness List
Updated
Updated · Marijuana Moment · Jun 24
Marijuana Moment Challenges DEA Livestream Ban for June 29 Cannabis Hearing as Opponents Dominate Witness List
1 articles · Updated · Marijuana Moment · Jun 24
Summary
A June 29 DEA hearing on moving marijuana to Schedule III is facing a new transparency challenge after Marijuana Moment asked Judge Derek Julis to reverse his ban on livestreaming and allow real-time public access.
Joseph Bondy argued DEA itself previously allowed livestreaming in an earlier, later-canceled rescheduling process and said limited seats in Arlington and delayed transcripts are no substitute for contemporaneous press and public observation.
The access fight lands as DEA has invited only opponents of the reform to participate in the hearing, excluding supporters from the witness list despite the judge acknowledging strong national public interest.
NORML, also represented by Bondy, separately filed an emergency reconsideration request saying its exclusion as an 'interested person' would omit the consumer perspective and leave the record incomplete before proceedings end by July 15.
The hearing follows April orders from Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche that already shifted state-licensed medical cannabis and FDA-approved marijuana products to Schedule III, while broader rescheduling still faces lawsuits and political pushback.
How can a hearing with only reform opponents produce a balanced record on marijuana's rescheduling?
Why are consumer advocates barred from a hearing that will shape the future of federal cannabis law?
With medical cannabis now Schedule III, why do federal agencies remain divided on its regulation for workers?
2026 DEA Cannabis Rescheduling Hearing: Legal Battles, Livestream Ban, and Implications for Federal Policy
Overview
The DEA's upcoming cannabis rescheduling hearing, set for June 29 to July 15, 2026, is already surrounded by controversy and national attention. This hearing is a crucial step that could reshape federal cannabis policy, business taxation, and the legal status of millions. However, the DEA has excluded major reform groups like NORML from participating, sparking legal challenges and concerns about fairness. These exclusions, along with a ban on livestreaming the proceedings, have raised serious questions about transparency and public trust. The outcome of this process will have lasting effects on both policy and public confidence in federal decision-making.