The DEA's "Medical Marijuana Dispensary Registration Portal" opened Wednesday, letting state-licensed medical cannabis businesses apply for federal protections under the Trump administration's cannabis rescheduling process. Last week, DOJ announced marijuana is moving from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act in phases; Acting Attorney General Blanche's order immediately placed state-licensed medical marijuana and FDA-approved marijuana products at Schedule III.
To access Schedule III benefits—including federal tax deductions currently blocked by IRS code 280E—dispensaries must submit a DEA application covering standard operating procedures for ordering, receiving, inventories, storage, security, dispensing, distributing, destruction/disposal, theft/loss reporting, due diligence, corresponding responsibility, and records maintenance; security infrastructure (vaults, safes, storage rooms, access controls, alarms, on-site personnel); product type (marijuana, extracts, or naturally derived delta-9 THC); recreational marijuana handling; intended suppliers; and repackaging plans.
Businesses must list personnel with controlled-substance access—names, titles, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and drug-related criminal histories—and answer whether anyone in ownership or operations has previously handled controlled substances without DEA authorization, which likely applies to key staff at virtually every operating state-legal cannabis business.
The non-refundable $794 annual fee is payable only via PayPal; more options are coming, DEA says. DEA also launched a new rescheduling webpage with Federal Register orders and details.
Blanche's order also establishes a buy-back mechanism required by an international drug control treaty: the federal government will technically purchase marijuana from producers at a nominal price and sell it back at the same price plus an administrative fee calculated under Part 1318.06(a). Each manufacturer registration must specify permitted cultivation areas, and manufacturers must store crops in a DEA-accessible facility until each transaction completes.
The Treasury Department and IRS plan to issue new marijuana industry tax guidance. A hearing on broader Schedule I-to-III rescheduling begins June 29 under an expedited process. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said cannabis reform is "overwhelmingly popular" with voters and helps medical patients; Trump cited friend Howard Kessler's medical marijuana experience, shared at an Oval Office event.
Trump also called on Congress to amend a law threatening to recriminalize hemp-derived full-spectrum CBD products, posting on social media: "We must get this done RIGHT and FAST, especially for those who saw that CBD helps them. Plus, I am told it will also help our GREAT FARMERS, who we love, and will always be there for." Days earlier, Trump had accused DOJ of "slow-walking" his cannabis executive order.
