The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced that Attorney General Merrick Garland has taken the first step towards rescheduling marijuana by submitting a proposed rule to the Federal Register. The move follows President Joe Biden’s decision to reclassify cannabis as a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). However, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has expressed skepticism and resistance towards the proposed rule. While rescheduling marijuana to Schedule III would not legalize it federally, it would acknowledge its medical value and lower abuse potential. The proposed rule will undergo a 60-day public comment period. The DOJ’s Office of Legal Council (OLC) provided a legal opinion supporting the rescheduling action, but the DEA has not yet made its determination. The rescheduling proposal does not apply to synthetically derived THC, and cannabis would still be subject to FDA approval and federal criminalization.