Companies that want to register as medical marijuana dispensaries will be able to do so from April 29, following President Donald Trump’s order to reclassify the substance, according to a notice on the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA’s) website.
The DEA said that the portal will open on Wednesday at 9 a.m. ET.
The move comes several days after the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said that it was loosening restrictions on some marijuana—or cannabis—products, as well as commencing an expedited process to consider broader reclassification of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act.
According to the DEA’s instructions, those submitting an application will have to pay an annual fee of $794, as well as answer a series of liability questions, including whether they have been convicted of a crime in connection with controlled substances and whether they have ever had a federal-controlled substance registration revoked, suspended, restricted, or denied.
Applicants will also have to provide compliance information, such as what security measures would be in place and the details of those likely to have access to the controlled substances.
Reclassification of Cannabis
On April 23, the Trump administration announced it was moving forward with the reclassification of approved marijuana, following the president’s December 2025 executive order (EO) “Increasing Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research.”
The order cited a recommendation from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which said that medical marijuana is currently accepted for medical use.
“That determination was based in part on a finding by the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health that more than 30,000 licensed healthcare practitioners across 43 United States jurisdictions are authorized to recommend the medical use of marijuana for more than 6 million registered patients to treat at least 15 medical conditions,” the EO reads.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in an April 23 post on X that the DOJ is delivering on Trump’s “promise to improve American healthcare” with the reclassification.
“These actions will enable more targeted, rigorous research into marijuana’s safety and efficacy, expanding patients’ access to treatments and empowering doctors to make better-informed healthcare decisions,” Blanche said.
Also on April 23, Trump urged Congress to update the law to ensure Americans have access to “full-spectrum” cannabidiol (CBD) products.
“In December, I signed a very important Executive Order calling for Research and Innovation for Hemp-derived CBD — Something that has made a HUGE difference for so many people,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
“I am calling on Congress to update the Law to ensure that Americans can continue to access the full-spectrum CBD products they have come to rely on, and that help them, while preserving Congress’s intent to restrict the sale of products that pose Health risks.”
