John Mulrooney – “My retirement will leave the DEA with no Administrative Law Judge to hear this matter or any of the Agency’s other pending administrative enforcement cases.”

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The DEA judge overseeing the marijuana rescheduling process, John Mulrooney, is retiring on August 1, leaving the stalled case to the newly confirmed DEA Administrator, Terrance Cole. Mulrooney cited the lack of an Administrative Law Judge at the DEA as the reason for forwarding all matters to Cole. Cole, who has expressed concerns about cannabis’s health effects, has stated that reviewing the rescheduling proposal will be a priority but has not committed to a specific outcome. The rescheduling process, which aims to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act, has been delayed for six months due to legal challenges and procedural issues, including allegations of improper contact between DEA officials and anti-rescheduling witnesses. Meanwhile, congressional lawmakers are considering legislation to block the Justice Department from rescheduling marijuana, and industry groups are pushing for reform.