Wyoming Drugs Commissioner Rejects State Rescheduling of Cannabis

Wyoming’s Attorney General’s Office announced that the state will not reschedule cannabis under state law, despite the federal DEA’s move to place medical cannabis in Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. The commissioner’s decision states that only the Wyoming Legislature can change the state drug schedule and that administrative rulemaking is not appropriate for such a change.

The agency noted that Wyoming already classifies FDA‑approved cannabinoid products such as dronabinol and Cesamet as Schedule III and Schedule II drugs, respectively, and that Epidiolex is removed from the state schedule. During a June hearing on the issue, eight public comments were received and were evenly split between maintaining the status quo and moving cannabis to Schedule III. The decision underscores the gap between federal reform efforts and state‑level policy actions.

The federal hearing, which began on June 29, features testimony from an FDA scientist and a physician supporting the Schedule III placement, but Wyoming officials maintain that any broader scheduling change must come from the state legislature.