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DEA Enforcement Dashboard

DEA enforcement intelligence — every raid, ruling, and registration action. Scheduling proposals, asset forfeitures, cease-and-desist letters, and DOJ-DEA coordination curated by cannabis attorney Bob Hoban.

All DEA Actions (10)

Agent GuidancecriticalDEA Office of Diversion Control / FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied NutritionDecember 5, 2024

DEA and FDA Issue Joint Industry Guidance on Hemp-CBD Product Regulatory Boundaries

First joint DEA-FDA guidance document establishes a unified federal position on hemp-CBD product regulation; addresses ingestible CBD, broad-spectrum hemp extract, and novel cannabinoid boundaries.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Food and Drug Administration issued the first joint federal guidance document specifically addressing hemp-CBD product regulatory boundaries in December 2024. The joint guidance emerged from Congressional pressure following the 2023 he

CBDHemp-Derived THCDelta-8 THCRead full analysis →
Scheduling ActionhighDEA Office of Diversion ControlNovember 14, 2024

DEA Opens Psilocybin Scheduling Review Following FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designations

DEA initiates formal scheduling review for psilocybin mushrooms and synthesized psilocybin following FDA's grant of Breakthrough Therapy Designation to three clinical programs.

The Drug Enforcement Administration initiated a formal scheduling review for psilocybin and psilocin in November 2024, responding to three FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designations granted to clinical programs developing psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for treatment-resistant depre

PsilocybinSchedule IRead full analysis →
Asset ForfeituremediumDEA Asset Forfeiture SectionOctober 11, 2024

DEA Updates Administrative Forfeiture Threshold for Cannabis-Linked Currency Seizures

DEA administrative forfeiture initiation threshold raised to $50,000 for cannabis-linked cash seizures; does not limit seizure authority but affects asset retention procedures.

The Drug Enforcement Administration updated its internal administrative forfeiture threshold for cannabis-linked currency seizures in October 2024, raising the threshold from $30,000 to $50,000 at which DEA's Asset Forfeiture Section must seek judicial forfeiture proceedings rath

MarijuanaSchedule IRead full analysis →
Agent GuidancelowDEA Diversion Control DivisionSeptember 5, 2024

DEA Updates Electronic Form 222 Requirements for Schedule I Transfers Following Rescheduling Proposals

DEA Diversion Control issues field guidance to registrants on using CSOS for any Schedule I cannabis transfers authorized in the context of rescheduling research.

The Drug Enforcement Administration's Diversion Control Division issued updated field guidance in September 2024 on the use of the Controlled Substances Ordering System (CSOS) for Schedule I substance transfers in the context of expanded research authorization under the Consolida

Schedule IMarijuanaRead full analysis →
DEA-DOJ CoordinationhighDEA Office of Diversion Control / DOJ Criminal DivisionAugust 22, 2024

DOJ and DEA Issue Joint Memorandum on Cannabis Business Banking Compliance Expectations

Memorandum outlines minimum compliance expectations for financial institutions banking cannabis-related businesses; does not create safe harbor but signals enforcement tolerance parameters.

The Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration issued a joint memorandum in August 2024 addressing banking compliance expectations for financial institutions that choose to provide services to state-licensed cannabis businesses. The memorandum does not create

MarijuanaSchedule IRead full analysis →
Registration ActionmediumDEA Office of Diversion ControlJuly 18, 2024

DEA Issues Guidance on Tribal Cannabis Operations and DEA Registration Requirements

Guidance clarifies that tribal cannabis programs operating under USAO Memoranda are not exempt from DEA registrant requirements for distribution activities.

The Drug Enforcement Administration issued guidance on July 18, 2024 addressing the intersection of tribal cannabis programs and DEA registration requirements under 21 U.S.C. § 823. The guidance responds to questions from tribal nations operating cannabis programs pursuant to Un

MarijuanaSchedule IRead full analysis →
CSA AssessmentcriticalDEA Office of Diversion ControlJune 28, 2024

DEA Initiates Controlled Substance Assessment for THCA, THCO, and Novel Hemp-Derived Cannabinoids

DEA formally initiates eight-factor analysis under 21 U.S.C. § 811 for five hemp-derived cannabinoids; final scheduling determinations expected within 24 months.

The Drug Enforcement Administration formally initiated controlled substance scheduling assessments for five hemp-derived cannabinoids in June 2024, triggering the eight-factor analysis under 21 U.S.C. § 811 that precedes any formal scheduling rulemaking. The cannabinoids under a

Hemp-Derived THCDelta-8 THCOtherRead full analysis →
Rule ProposalcriticalDEA Office of Diversion ControlMay 21, 2024

DEA Publishes Marijuana Rescheduling NPRM: Schedule I to Schedule III

Proposed rule follows HHS recommendation and Biden administration directive; 60-day public comment window opens.

On May 21, 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register proposing to transfer marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. This follows the August 2023 recommendation from the De

Schedule ISchedule IIIMarijuanaRead full analysis →
Enforcement RaidhighDEA Los Angeles Field DivisionApril 9, 2024

DEA Los Angeles Field Division Executes 23 Simultaneous Raids on California Cannabis Operators

Multi-day enforcement action targets unlicensed dispensaries operating under licensed covers; 14 arrests, $4.2M cash seized.

The DEA Los Angeles Field Division, coordinating with the California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC), the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, and the IRS Criminal Investigation division, executed 23 simultaneous search warrants targeting California cannabis operators in

MarijuanaSchedule IRead full analysis →
Cease & DesisthighDEA Diversion Control DivisionMarch 14, 2024

DEA Issues Multi-State Delta-8 THC Cease-and-Desist Letters to Retailers

DEA coordinates with state law enforcement to send C&D letters to 87 retailers in 14 states; cites IFR clarifying hemp-derived THC isomers.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, coordinating with state attorneys general and state pharmacy boards in 14 states, issued cease-and-desist letters to 87 retail establishments selling delta-8 THC products in March 2024. The action cites DEA's 2021 Interim Final Rule (IFR) cla

Delta-8 THCHemp-Derived THCRead full analysis →

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