Thursday’s cannabis news is shaped by the contested aftermath of the Justice Department’s April rescheduling of medical cannabis to Schedule III. A coalition of pharmaceutical and drug-testing companies has asked the DC Circuit to pause the order; a House committee has voted to exclude cannabis from federal workers’ compensation regardless of schedule changes. Elsewhere, Trulieve continues to trade on the NYSE, Rhode Island restarts its retail licensing process, and New York’s regulators record three court victories.
The National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association, alongside MMJ International Holdings and MMJ BioPharma, filed a petition on 9 June in the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit seeking to halt Attorney General Order No. 6754-2026, which moved FDA-approved and state-licensed medical cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III on 28 April, The Marijuana Herald reported. The petitioners contend the order bypassed required notice-and-comment procedures and that the attorney general lacked authority to reschedule without completing the required DEA hearing. Drug testing organisations cite costly policy updates; pharmaceutical companies argue that $10 million in FDA-regulated cannabis development now faces unfair competition from state-licensed products that have not cleared FDA review. The DEA’s broader rescheduling hearing opens on 29 June; the petitioners may seek emergency relief before then. Track rescheduling developments on the BoC Cannabis Rescheduling page.
Trulieve Cannabis Corp became the first US plant-touching operator to trade on a major domestic exchange when its shares began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker TRLV on 10 June, as Investing News reported. To meet NYSE compliance requirements, Trulieve deconsolidated its adult-use operations entirely, retaining 206 state-licensed medical dispensaries across Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania and West Virginia backed by 3.5 million square feet of production capacity. The listing became viable after the Justice Department’s April reclassification of state-licensed medical cannabis to Schedule III. Verano Holdings enacted a 1-for-5 reverse stock split effective today as it pursues a comparable exchange listing. Track sector valuations on the BoC Cannabis Stocks Tracker.
The House Appropriations Committee passed a Fiscal Year 2027 spending bill for Labour, Health and Human Services by 34 votes to 28 on 10 June, Marijuana Moment reported, containing a provision that bars the Department of Labour from authorising or reimbursing cannabis as a compensable medical treatment in federal workers’ compensation programmes. The language holds regardless of any change in the scheduling under the Controlled Substances Act, making it a direct legislative counter to the Trump administration’s April rescheduling. Should the bill become law, federal workers who use state-legal cannabis for medical conditions will have no path to reimbursement, even as the Justice Department argues rescheduling improves access to cannabinoid medicine.
Governor Dan McKee signed House Bill 8544 and Senate Bill 3313 on 10 June, restarting Rhode Island’s retail cannabis licensing process after a protracted impasse, The Marijuana Herald reported. The legislation voids all prior social equity certification and retail licence applications, requires the Cannabis Control Commission to open a new application process within 60 days, and mandates refunds of previously paid fees. Up to 24 retail licences will be issued across six geographic zones, with one licence per zone reserved for workers’ cooperative applicants and one for social equity applicants. House Bill 8544 passed the House by 63 votes to 1 and the Senate by 29 to 8, reflecting cross-party support for resolving Rhode Island’s delayed launch.
New York’s Office of Cannabis Management secured three consecutive court rulings in early June affirming its regulatory authority, Long Island Business reported on 10 June. In Papi’s Secret Stash LLC v. Cannabis Control Board, the court upheld the denial of a microbusiness licence based on evidence of unlicensed cannabis distribution. In Wicked Glass v. Cannabis Control Board, the court blocked attempts to use judicial review to circumvent the Office of Administrative Hearings’ fact-finding process. In Legendary Bliss v. Cannabis Control Board, the court affirmed as lawful the agency’s rule preventing multiple licences at the same address. OCM Executive Director John Kagia said the rulings affirm key policy frameworks that ensure all stakeholders are treated equally and fairly under applicable laws and regulations.
Watch this week for the DC Circuit petitioners’ next steps, which may include an application for emergency relief ahead of the scheduled 29 June DEA rescheduling hearing. Virginia’s 1 July budget deadline also approaches, with Governor Spanberger reporting progress on a recreational sales deal.
The post Cannabis News Today — Thursday 11 June 2026: Rescheduling Faces Court and Congressional Challenge as Markets and States Press Ahead appeared first on Business of Cannabis.
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Challengers Ask DC Circuit to Pause Cannabis Rescheduling
The National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association, alongside MMJ International Holdings and MMJ BioPharma, filed a petition on 9 June in the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit seeking to halt Attorney General Order No. 6754-2026, which moved FDA-approved and state-licensed medical cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III on 28 April, The Marijuana Herald reported. The petitioners contend the order bypassed required notice-and-comment procedures and that the attorney general lacked authority to reschedule without completing the required DEA hearing. Drug testing organisations cite costly policy updates; pharmaceutical companies argue that $10 million in FDA-regulated cannabis development now faces unfair competition from state-licensed products that have not cleared FDA review. The DEA’s broader rescheduling hearing opens on 29 June; the petitioners may seek emergency relief before then. Track rescheduling developments on the BoC Cannabis Rescheduling page.
Trulieve Begins NYSE Trading After Medical-Only Restructuring
Trulieve Cannabis Corp became the first US plant-touching operator to trade on a major domestic exchange when its shares began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker TRLV on 10 June, as Investing News reported. To meet NYSE compliance requirements, Trulieve deconsolidated its adult-use operations entirely, retaining 206 state-licensed medical dispensaries across Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania and West Virginia backed by 3.5 million square feet of production capacity. The listing became viable after the Justice Department’s April reclassification of state-licensed medical cannabis to Schedule III. Verano Holdings enacted a 1-for-5 reverse stock split effective today as it pursues a comparable exchange listing. Track sector valuations on the BoC Cannabis Stocks Tracker.
House Committee Votes to Block Cannabis from Federal Workers’ Compensation
The House Appropriations Committee passed a Fiscal Year 2027 spending bill for Labour, Health and Human Services by 34 votes to 28 on 10 June, Marijuana Moment reported, containing a provision that bars the Department of Labour from authorising or reimbursing cannabis as a compensable medical treatment in federal workers’ compensation programmes. The language holds regardless of any change in the scheduling under the Controlled Substances Act, making it a direct legislative counter to the Trump administration’s April rescheduling. Should the bill become law, federal workers who use state-legal cannabis for medical conditions will have no path to reimbursement, even as the Justice Department argues rescheduling improves access to cannabinoid medicine.
Rhode Island Governor Signs Cannabis Licensing Reform
Governor Dan McKee signed House Bill 8544 and Senate Bill 3313 on 10 June, restarting Rhode Island’s retail cannabis licensing process after a protracted impasse, The Marijuana Herald reported. The legislation voids all prior social equity certification and retail licence applications, requires the Cannabis Control Commission to open a new application process within 60 days, and mandates refunds of previously paid fees. Up to 24 retail licences will be issued across six geographic zones, with one licence per zone reserved for workers’ cooperative applicants and one for social equity applicants. House Bill 8544 passed the House by 63 votes to 1 and the Senate by 29 to 8, reflecting cross-party support for resolving Rhode Island’s delayed launch.
New York Cannabis Regulators Win Three Court Rulings Upholding State Oversight
New York’s Office of Cannabis Management secured three consecutive court rulings in early June affirming its regulatory authority, Long Island Business reported on 10 June. In Papi’s Secret Stash LLC v. Cannabis Control Board, the court upheld the denial of a microbusiness licence based on evidence of unlicensed cannabis distribution. In Wicked Glass v. Cannabis Control Board, the court blocked attempts to use judicial review to circumvent the Office of Administrative Hearings’ fact-finding process. In Legendary Bliss v. Cannabis Control Board, the court affirmed as lawful the agency’s rule preventing multiple licences at the same address. OCM Executive Director John Kagia said the rulings affirm key policy frameworks that ensure all stakeholders are treated equally and fairly under applicable laws and regulations.
Watch this week for the DC Circuit petitioners’ next steps, which may include an application for emergency relief ahead of the scheduled 29 June DEA rescheduling hearing. Virginia’s 1 July budget deadline also approaches, with Governor Spanberger reporting progress on a recreational sales deal.
The post Cannabis News Today — Thursday 11 June 2026: Rescheduling Faces Court and Congressional Challenge as Markets and States Press Ahead appeared first on Business of Cannabis.
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