**Recent procedural delays in the DEA's administrative process are the dominant factor shaping trader views on full marijuana rescheduling.** In April 2026, the Justice Department and DEA issued a final rule moving FDA-approved marijuana products and state-licensed medical marijuana to Schedule III. A separate rulemaking to transfer all remaining marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III advanced through an 11-day evidentiary hearing ending in mid-July 2026, after which the DEA filed a post-hearing brief supporting rescheduling. On September 29, 2026, Chief Administrative Law Judge Derek Julius temporarily stayed the broader proceeding to consider a new Government Accountability Office report on federal drug scheduling practices. Opponents including the National Drug & Alcohol Screening Association requested the stay and supplemental briefing; the government must respond by October 13, 2026. The ALJ will then decide whether to admit the report, allow further briefing, and lift the stay before issuing a recommended decision. This pause adds uncertainty to an already multi-step process that requires the ALJ recommendation, exceptions, DEA administrator review, and potentially a new proposed rule with comment period. While partial medical rescheduling has occurred, the timeline for comprehensive change remains extended by these developments and ongoing opposition, keeping near-term full rescheduling probabilities low in trader assessments.