Cannabis lawyer Tom Howard explains that the DOJ’s final rule moving medical cannabis to Schedule III did not legalize marijuana, but it created new DEA registrations and an online portal that could make state-licensed medical marijuana dispensaries more federally compliant than ever, while leaving adult-use sales in Schedule I contradictions.

He walks through the DEA application’s tabs, $794 fee per application, supplier and employee access disclosures, drug codes, and liability questions—highlighting a key yes/no question that could force operators to admit past controlled-substance activity without DEA registration, raising Fifth Amendment and “trap” concerns. The portal is open for a limited window (noted as closing June 26) with expedited review, yet legal challenges and possible injunctions are expected. Howard urges operators to weigh filing now versus waiting, given potential impacts on banking, taxes, insurance, and compliance.