June 30, 2025

Season 3 Episode 2 – Reading the Tea Leaves: The Future of Marijuana Rescheduling with Bridget Dooling, Matt Lawrence, Cat Packer, and Patricia Zettler

1 hour 9 minutes

In October 2022, President asked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to review how marijuana is scheduled under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). This sparked a multi-step formal rulemaking process that is ongoing.

In this episode we showcase a virtual panel discussion hosted by the Drug Enforcement and Policy Center on April 8, 2025. The panel of experts and former government officials explained the rescheduling process thus far and addressed how marijuana policy may change under the Trump Administration.

Bridget Dooling is Assistant Professor of Law at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and former Deputy Chief for the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. Matt Lawrence is Associate Professor at Emory University School of Law and former Senior Advisor with the Drug Enforcement Administration of the U.S. Department of Justice. Cat Packer is a Distinguished Cannabis Policy Practitioner in Residence at The Ohio State University Drug Enforcement and Policy Center, Director of Drug Markets and Legal Regulation at Drug Policy Alliance, and former Executive Director of the City of Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation. Patricia J. Zettler is John W. Bricker Professor of Law at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and former Deputy General Counsel to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Show notes:

David Pozen’s post on the Balkinization Blog titled, Reading the Tea Leaves on Marijuana Rescheduling

DEPC’s resource page on Federal Marijuana Rescheduling

Drug Policy Alliance analysis of public comments

Methadone’s Regulatory Thicket, coauthored by Bridget Dooling

Drug Scheduling as Institutional Design, by Matt Lawrence and David Pozen

The Surprising Reach of FDA Regulation of Cannabis, Even after Descheduling, by Erika Lietzan and Sean M. O’Connor

...more