HP&M’s Larry Houck A Panelist at FDLI’s Cannabis Regulation Conference

Last August the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”)/Health and Human Services (“HHS”) recommended that the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) reschedule cannabis from schedule I under the federal Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”) to schedule III.  By doing so, FDA/HHS believe that cannabis no longer meets schedule I criteria but does not meet schedule II criteria either.

Hyman, Phelps & McNamara Director Larry Houck will participate as a panelist focusing on this timely topic at the Food and Drug Law Institute’s (“FDLI’s”) Legal and Practical Issues in Cannabis Regulation Conference next month.  Mr. Houck will participate in a session entitled “Marijuana Rescheduling: Exploring FDA’s Recommendation, Stakeholder Impact, and Broader Implications.”  Likely discussion topics during the session will address what has changed since 2016 when FDA/HHS and DEA concluded that cannabis remain in schedule I, why DEA may be required under U.S. treaty obligations to reschedule cannabis in schedule II, and rescheduling implications on federal CSA requirements and in the states that authorize cannabis for medical and recreational use.

Additional sessions planned for FDLI’s conference include: “Surveying the State of Cannabis Research,” “Navigating the Evolving Cannabis and Cannabis-Derived Products Marketplace,” “Notable Decisions and Emerging Trends in Cannabis Litigation,” and “Global Perspectives on Cannabis Regulation.”

The conference, held in Washington, D.C., April 4th and 5th, is an in-person and virtual event.  Additional information, including a preliminary agenda, is available at the conference webpage here.