Top Officials Acknowledge Difficulties Of Psychedelics Research In The U.S.

During an event organized by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, titled “Exploring Psychedelics & Entactogens to Treat Psychiatric Disorders,” two officials noted the challenges scientists face in conducting research into Schedule I substances such as psychedelics, reported Marijuana Moment.

“The scheduling process makes it extremely hard to do research and it has slowed down the process enormously,” said Nora Volkow, psychiatrist,  and director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

“We need to work together both with the FDA and the DEA to ensure ways that we can carry on research on Schedule I substances without having to go through the procedures that are entailed for someone that is actually using these drugs for other purposes,” Volkow added.

Joshua Gordon, director of the National Institute on Mental Health, pointed to one active program looking into ketamine and the therapeutic mechanisms behind its use in the treatment of depression. “We are already supporting a lot of preclinical research in the mechanisms of psychedelics,” Gordon said.

“There’s just such a tremendous need out there that [isn’t] being met by the currently available therapies,” Gordon added. “And I think we all recognize this in the federal government.”

Photo by Ashleigh Shea on Unsplash.