The Trump administration has begun granting federal approval to more than 900 medical marijuana dispensaries across several states, the Department of Justice announced on Friday.
The Drug Enforcement Administration is moving forward with issuing registrations for hundreds of dispensaries in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. The dispensaries were required to meet certain requirements before being approved for federal registration, according to the DOJ.
The move comes months after Attorney General Todd Blanche signed an order that implemented Schedule III controls for certain medical marijuana activities.
Under the Controlled Substances Act, Schedule III permits medical use of marijuana. Cannabis has traditionally been classified as a Schedule I drug until the administration reclassified it. The action applies to FDA-approved drug products containing marijuana and state-licensed medical marijuana products, and it does not authorize recreational marijuana use.
After President Donald Trump directed the DOJ to reclassify state-licensed medical marijuana last year, Blanche issued the reclassification order in April. At the time, he was serving as acting attorney general.
“The American people deserve access to the best medical treatments in the world,” Blanche said in a statement. “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.”
TODD BLANCHE ORDERS FEDERAL RECLASSIFICATION OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA AS LESS DANGEROUS
The order established an initial 60-day period for dispensaries to satisfy applicable federal requirements, including completion of the DEA’s pre-registration investigation, before receiving federal registration. The DEA is starting with the businesses that applied early.
Nearly 7,000 state-licensed medical marijuana dispensaries, distributors, and manufacturers have applied, according to the DEA. Having a state license does not automatically grant a dispensary federal registration.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
