Vol. 1, Ed. 13 — Thu Aug 27: DEA publishes rescheduling transcript as decision nears

The DEA publishes the full 2,533-page transcript of its cannabis rescheduling hearing as the judge weighs a Schedule III recommendation; the Supreme Court is expected to consider the federal home-distilling ban this fall; a New Mexico credit union exits cannabis banking Nov. 1. For general information only — not legal advice.

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This is the New Realm Compliance Brief, Volume One, Edition Thirteen, for Thursday, August twenty-seventh.

Our top story: the Drug Enforcement Administration has published the complete transcript of its cannabis rescheduling hearing — more than twenty-five hundred pages covering eleven days of testimony that wrapped up in mid-July. In the record, a D E A attorney argued that marijuana can no longer remain in Schedule One because it has a currently accepted medical use, pointing to more than thirty thousand practitioners treating over six million patients across forty-three jurisdictions. The chief administrative law judge, Derek Julius, will now issue a formal recommendation, and the final call rests with the D E A administrator. A move to Schedule Three would change federal tax treatment for cannabis businesses and could accelerate investment in T H C beverages that increasingly compete with beer at retail.

In other federal news, the Supreme Court is expected to look this fall at the hundred-fifty-eight-year-old federal ban on distilling spirits at home. Two petitions ask the justices to resolve a split between appeals courts — one upheld the ban, another struck it down — and the court will likely consider the petitions in October or November.

Around the states: in New Mexico, U S Eagle Federal Credit Union said it will close its cannabis banking arm on November first, citing competition, so affected businesses need replacement accounts before the cutoff. And Illinois added two qualifying conditions to its medical cannabis program.

On the radar: September eighth, Canada's retaliatory tariffs on U S goods, including alcohol, are set to take effect. September thirtieth is the F D A's stated target for initial hemp guidance. And November twelfth remains the effective date for federal hemp T H C caps unless Congress acts.

Full details and source links are in today's email. This update is for general information only — it is not legal advice.