ACCESS Newswire
09 Aug 2026, 23:21 GMT+10

With post hearing briefs due August 17 and Administrative Law Judge Derek C. Julius expected to issue a recommendation thereafter, Duane Boise CEO MMJ International Holdings says 'the most important question may no longer be whether marijuana reaches Schedule III-but whether the evidentiary record actually supports the government's state licensed marijuana pathway.'

WASHINGTON, D.C. / ACCESS Newswire / August 9, 2026 / No one outside the courtroom can know what Administrative Law Judge Derek C. Julius will ultimately recommend following the Drug Enforcement Administration's marijuana rescheduling hearing.

But the hearing transcripts may provide a glimpse into the crystal ball.

With post-hearing briefs due August 17, 2026, and an ALJ recommendation expected at some point thereafter, MMJ International Holdings says the testimony developed during the proceeding has exposed fundamental tensions between the scientific evidence presented at the hearing and the federal government's decision to extend Schedule III treatment to marijuana distributed through qualifying state medical-marijuana programs.

For MMJ, the most consequential question may therefore be larger than whether Judge Julius ultimately recommends Schedule III.

THE GOVERNMENT'S OWN SCIENTIFIC RECORD MAY BE THE STORY

Among the most significant testimony came from DEA scientist Dr. Luli Akinfiresoye, whose scientific analysis addressed marijuana under DEA's traditional framework for determining whether a substance has a currently accepted medical use.

From MMJ's notes her testimony and analysis raised questions concerning reproducible chemistry, adequate safety information and evidence from adequate and well-controlled studies.

The hearing also developed testimony concerning diversion from state marijuana programs.