What went down at the Cannabis Rescheduling Hearing with Max Jackson

What actually happened inside the DEA’s cannabis rescheduling hearing? In this timely episode of the Bioactive Podcast, Dr. Riley Kirk sits down with Max Jackson, former commercial cannabis cultivator and founder of Cannabis Wise Guys, to unpack what he witnessed firsthand at the DEA hearing on moving cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III.

Max spent most of the hearing inside the room, taking handwritten notes because recording and livestreaming were not permitted. As someone who previously managed a commercial cultivation facility with approximately 13,000 flowering cannabis plants, he offers a unique perspective on the arguments being made about cannabis, medical use, public health, research, and the plant itself.

Together, Riley and Max break down who opposed rescheduling, what the government and opposing parties argued, and some of the surprising claims and misconceptions that came up during the proceedings. They discuss the difference between whole-plant cannabis and isolated cannabinoids, the challenges of dosing and medical education, cannabis research limitations, adverse effects, and why the lack of cannabis research is itself connected to decades of Schedule I restrictions.

The conversation also explores what rescheduling to Schedule III could actually mean, what happens next in the process, why the administrative judge does not make the final decision, and why the DEA ultimately holds that decision.

Whether you're a cannabis consumer, home grower, medical professional, researcher, cultivator, cannabis business owner, or simply trying to understand the future of cannabis policy in the United States, this episode gives you an inside look at a hearing most people never had the opportunity to see.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

00:40 Max Jackson Background

01:36 Why He Attended Hearing

02:52 Security and Closed Doors

06:46 Who Opposed Rescheduling

08:18 Bias and Expert Framing