Key takeaways
DEA’s proposed 2027 production quotas, published Nov. 10, 2026 (91 FR 72566), keep Schedule I marijuana at 6,675,000 grams (6,675 kg) and marijuana extract at 1,000,000 grams, the same as 2026.
The notice covers only Schedule I cannabis. Quotas for state-licensed medical marijuana now in Schedule III (drug codes 7362, 7353, 7386) will come in a separate, undated notice.
DEA says it is still registering the manufacturers and distributors that will handle Schedule III marijuana and is choosing the data it will use to size their quotas.
Comments on Docket No. DEA-1730P are due Dec. 10, 2026.
The Drug Enforcement Administration has put out its proposed 2027 marijuana production quotas, and the headline number did not move. The bigger news for medical cannabis operators is what the notice leaves out: the quotas for marijuana that moved to Schedule III this year still don’t exist.
The notice in the Federal Register, signed Nov. 3, 2026 by DEA Administrator Terrance C. Cole and published Nov. 10, proposes aggregate production quotas for every Schedule I and II substance in 2027. Comments are open until Dec. 10, 2026.
What DEA proposed for 2027 marijuana production quotas
Aggregate production quotas cap how much of a controlled substance can be legally manufactured in the U.S. each year for medical, scientific, research and industrial needs, exports and reserve stocks. For Schedule I cannabis, DEA proposes holding every category at its 2026 level, according to the Marijuana Herald and Marijuana Moment.
Schedule I category | Proposed 2027 quota (grams) |
|---|---|
Marijuana | 6,675,000 |
Marijuana extract | 1,000,000 |
Delta-9-THC | 1,523,040 |
All other tetrahydrocannabinol | 1,166,130 |
These Schedule I quotas govern DEA-registered growers supplying federally authorized research and manufacturing. They don’t cap what state-licensed adult-use markets produce, which sit outside the federal system.
Why Schedule III medical marijuana isn’t in the notice
The April 28, 2026 final rule moved FDA-approved marijuana products and products subject to a state medical marijuana license into Schedule III, with three new drug codes: 7362 (marijuana), 7353 (marijuana extract) and 7386 (naturally derived delta-9-THC). DEA says the treaty that governs cannabis, the 1961 Single Convention, requires licensed manufacturers to get quotas for those substances too.
But the agency isn’t ready to set them. It is still registering the manufacturers and distributors that will handle Schedule III marijuana, and it is still deciding which datasets best estimate U.S. need.
"A separate notice will be published in the Federal Register once the proposed APQs for the schedule III substances (drug codes 7362, 7353, 7386) are determined."
Key dates for the 2027 quota process
Date | Step |
|---|---|
April 28, 2026 | Rescheduling final rule takes effect for state medical and FDA-approved products |
Nov. 3, 2026 | Administrator Cole signs the proposed 2027 quotas |
Nov. 10, 2026 | Notice published (Docket No. DEA-1730P) |
Dec. 10, 2026 | Comments due (11:59 p.m. Eastern online) |
To be announced | Final 2027 order; separate Schedule III marijuana quota proposal |
After comments, the Administrator can hold a public hearing on issues raised, then publishes a final order setting the 2027 quotas.
What this means for operators
Watch for the separate Schedule III quota notice. If you manufacture under a state medical license and plan to register with DEA, that notice is where federal production limits for your products will be proposed.
Keep your production, inventory and sales records clean and easy to pull. DEA says it is still picking the data sources it will use to estimate need, and registrant reports already feed its quota decisions.
Comment by Dec. 10 on regulations.gov (Docket No. DEA-1730P) if you supply DEA-registered researchers or manufacturers and the flat Schedule I numbers don’t match demand.
Don’t assume adult-use volumes are affected. Nothing in this notice caps state adult-use production.
What this means for cannabis workers
For most dispensary and cultivation staff, nothing changes on the floor this week. If you work for a medical operator moving toward DEA registration, expect more federal recordkeeping around how much product is grown, processed and moved, since quotas run on that data.
The bigger picture
The same notice raises quotas for several psychedelics as research grows, including MDMA (33,296 grams) and ibogaine (12,002 grams), up from 12,000 and 210 grams in 2026, according to Marijuana Moment. Separately, the hearing on moving the rest of marijuana to Schedule III is waiting on a recommendation from DEA’s chief administrative law judge, the Marijuana Herald reports.
Related on The Weekly Joint: DEA registers 900+ medical cannabis dispensaries · DEA moves to deny a Minnesota dispensary · Archive
Sources
This article is general information, not legal advice. These are proposed quotas and may change in the final order. DEA contact: Heather E. Achbach, Diversion Control Division, (571) 776-3882.
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