DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration)
The US federal agency responsible for enforcing controlled substances laws. Administers the scheduling system under the Controlled Substances Act.
In Depth
The DEA classifies cannabis as Schedule I, the most restrictive category, despite state-level legalization in most states. In 2024, the DEA proposed rescheduling cannabis to Schedule III based on an HHS recommendation — a historic shift that would acknowledge cannabis's medical utility and ease research restrictions. Schedule III status would not legalize cannabis but would reduce research barriers and potentially allow state-licensed dispensaries to operate without federal banking restrictions.
Related Terms
More in Regulatory
Schedule I
The most restrictive classification under the US Controlled Substances Act (CSA), applied to substances deemed to have high abuse potential, no accepted medical use, and lack of accepted safety under medical supervision.
IND (Investigational New Drug)
An application submitted to the FDA allowing a pharmaceutical company or researcher to begin clinical trials of an unapproved drug in humans.
NCT Number
A unique identifier assigned by ClinicalTrials.gov to every registered clinical study. Format: NCT followed by 8 digits (e.g., NCT04849910).
GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice)
A system of regulations ensuring that products are consistently produced and controlled according to quality standards. Required for pharmaceutical-grade cannabinoid products.
FDA (Food and Drug Administration)
The US federal agency responsible for regulating drugs, biologics, medical devices, and food. Has approved three cannabinoid-based drugs: Epidiolex, Marinol (dronabinol), and Cesamet (nabilone).