On April 22, Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche signed an order officially moving cannabis from the strictest schedule under the Controlled Substances Act, Schedule I, to Schedule III, recognizing that the drug has medicinal uses. 

“This rescheduling action allows for research on the safety and efficacy of this substance, ultimately providing patients with better care and doctors with more reliable information,” Blanche said in an April 23 press release. 

Specifically, the order only applies to state-regulated medical cannabis products and those that have received FDA approval. In other words, recreational cannabis hasn’t been rescheduled yet.

On June 29, the Drug Enforcement Administration will open an administrative hearing to gather facts and consider fully moving all types of cannabis (aside from hemp, which has a separate set of rules) to Schedule III, according to the Justice Department. 

The hearing could continue through July 15, though the federal announcement specifically notes it will recess on July 3 and reconvene on July 6 “to allow all parties to celebrate the most important milestone in our country’s history — 250 years of American Independence.”