medical marijuana rescheduling prompted a public hearing Wednesday as the Alabama State Committee of Public Health weighed whether to object to a federal change that moved certain FDA-approved marijuana products from Schedule I to Schedule III.
The Drug Enforcement Administration announced the federal reclassification in April, saying FDA-approved marijuana-derived products should be listed as Schedule III. Under federal law, Schedule I drugs are defined as having no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse; Schedule III drugs are defined as having lower abuse potential and a moderate to low risk of dependence.
The committee convened in Montgomery to gather public comments before a deadline for written submissions on Aug. 5. General counsel for the Alabama Department of Public Health told attendees the panel will issue a decision after that date.
In May the committee voted to register an objection temporarily in order to allow time for public and stakeholder input. The committee listed two specific reasons for pausing implementation of the federal change: 1) Alabama has established a separate framework for dispensing medical marijuana that operates outside direct ADPH control and Alabama’s Controlled Substances Act, and 2) the state needs time to evaluate whether federal rescheduling will alter the framework the Legislature created.
Speakers at Wednesday’s hearing were split. A handful of people spoke against altering the federal classification, while one attendee spoke in favor.
Lori Herring, director of special projects for Eagle Forum of Alabama, urged the committee to maintain its objection, saying Alabama should retain higher regulatory standards than federal action. ‘I ask that the objection remain and that Alabama continues to set higher standards for medicine than what D.C. is currently doing,’ Herring said.
Joey Robertson, CEO and president of Wagon Trail Med-Serv, represented the pro-rescheduling perspective. Robertson said medical marijuana is an established option for patients when other medicines fail. ‘While this isn’t the best medicine for everyone, it is the medicine per law that everyone has been administered after most every other medication has failed or not been enough to give them what they needed in their treatment,’ he said.
Alabama legalized medical marijuana in 2021. The state’s first legal retail sale occurred on June 3 at Callie’s Apothecary in Montgomery, marking the start of licensed patient access through state-regulated dispensaries.
Practical effects of federal rescheduling can include changes to research rules, prescribing practices, and banking access, but the committee’s current focus is procedural: whether Alabama should formally object to the DEA change to preserve the state’s statutory and regulatory structure while officials review the implications.
The committee has opened a public comment period that runs until Aug. 5. After the deadline, committee members and ADPH counsel will evaluate written submissions and testimony before issuing a final recommendation. If the committee votes to object, that objection will register the state’s position as federal rules change, though any change to state law or licensing will still require action by Alabama lawmakers or state regulators.
Key dates and facts: – Federal action: DEA reclassified certain FDA-approved marijuana products from Schedule I to Schedule III in April (2026). – Alabama action: Committee held a public hearing in Montgomery and set a written comment deadline of Aug. 5. – State law: Medical marijuana legalized in Alabama in 2021; first legal sale on June 3, 2026 at Callie’s Apothecary.
The committee’s next publicly announced step is the post–Aug. 5 review and final decision. Stakeholders and residents who want to comment must submit written remarks by the deadline; the ADPH has indicated it will consider both written and oral testimony in its deliberations.
