DOJ’s Confusing Schedule III Move: Todd Blanche’s Treaty-Based Order Explained

Send us Fan MailTom Howard of Cannabis Legalization News analyzes Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s 33-page final order (signed April 22, published April 23) that creates a narrow, treaty-based “Schedule III” path under CSA §811(d)(1) to comply with the 1961 Single Convention. The order places two categories into Schedule III: FDA-approved marijuana drugs and marijuana covered by qualifying state medical marijuana licenses, while adult-use and other unlicensed/bulk marijuana remain Schedule I. Howard explains how DOJ bypassed the usual §811(a)/(b) hearing process, cites HHS findings on abuse potential and withdrawal, and ties the move to treaty controls like quotas, registration, recordkeeping, and a government purchase/resale mechanism. He discusses DEA registration, research access to state medical products, 280E mentions, and forecasts legal challenges by Smart Approaches to Marijuana and Torridon Law amid the ongoing broader rescheduling docket.00:00 Schedule Three Shockwave01:14 Order Overview and Oddities03:15 Treaty Based Rescheduling05:22 Why Medical Only07:38 Two Lane Schedule Three10:17 HHS Science and Abuse Data13:22 Bulk Marijuana Stays Schedule One16:29 DEA Rules and Compliance19:47 Research Access and 280E21:08 Regulatory Analysis and Definitions24:54 Naturally Derived THC Language25:37 Lawsuits and What Comes Next30:13 Wrap Up and SubscribeSupport the showGet our newsletter: https://bit.ly/3VEn9vu