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The DEA is officially moving forward with hearings to review an executive order that would reschedule marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug. This shift would formally reclassify cannabis, moving it out of the same high-restriction category as heroin and LSD and placing it alongside substances with recognized medical uses, such as codeine or ketamine. While this decision would not legalize marijuana at the federal level, it represents a major policy pivot—one that would primarily grant cannabis businesses a substantial tax break and make it significantly easier for organizations to conduct medical research.
However, this federal reclassification won’t override strict state laws, particularly in Tennessee. Just as the DEA hearings kick off, a restrictive new state law is taking effect that bans popular hemp-derived products, like Delta-8 and THCA, if they exceed a 0.3% concentration. Because marijuana and these specific hemp variants remain illegal under state law, residents won’t see any immediate relief from Tennessee’s strict possession penalties. Ultimately, it creates a notable disconnect: the federal government is easing up on a decades-old policy, while local state laws are simultaneously tightening.
This is a summary.
Read the original article: DEA Discusses Rescheduling Marijuana. Could Tennessee’s Laws Change?
Original article written by Peter Burditt. Published on June 29, 2026 by The Tennesseean
