D4DPR Obtains Win for Transparency and Accountability Against DEA in Cannabis Rescheduling Case

WASHINGTON - April 21, 2025 - PRLog -- Doctors for Drug Policy Reform (D4DPR) ended its legal challenge to how the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has handled the federal cannabis rescheduling hearing. Although the DEA's rescheduling proceedings remain on hold, D4DPR achieved a significant victory in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

In the D4DPR v. DEA case, the Government disclosed previously withheld DEA communications with individuals that sought to participate in the hearing. The disclosed documents provided transparency into the selection process and revealed that DEA engaged in communications with several applicants before formal selections were made.

"This disclosure was a major win for transparency and accountability," said Dr. Bryon Adinoff, President of D4DPR. "The cannabis advocacy community has long questioned the DEA's objectivity, and these documents confirm those concerns. Our goal was to expose the agency's improper conduct—and we succeeded."

Coverage of the court's findings appeared in the March 10, 2025 MJBiz article, "Suspicions that DEA rigged rescheduling process fueled by court documents," which detailed how these unauthorized communications raised serious concerns about the integrity of the rescheduling process.

While D4DPR considered further pursuing the challenge to its exclusion from the hearing, doing so could have resulted in more delay. Recognizing the core objective had been met, D4DPR filed a motion to dismiss its petition without prejudice on April 9, 2025, which the court granted on April 11, 2025. This preserves D4DPR's right to refile the case should DEA ultimately not reschedule cannabis.

"We remain committed to advocating for evidence-based drug policy," added Dr. Adinoff. "This legal effort exposed fundamental flaws in the DEA's process and reinforced the need for a more transparent, science-driven approach to drug scheduling."

D4DPR extends its sincere gratitude to Austin Brumbaugh of Yetter Coleman LLP for leading the organization's legal efforts in this matter.

For further information on D4DPR's position on cannabis rescheduling, legal filings, and broader drug policy reform efforts, please visit https://www.d4dpr.org/post/following-d4dprs-petition-chal....