DEA's Psychedelics Ban To Get Hearing After Advocates Revolt Over Proposed Scheduling

Researchers and advocates are seemingly poised to win the battle against the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) and its proposal to ban five psychedelic compounds, Marijuana Moment writes.

Nearly 600 people, including researchers and advocates, have written public comments upon DEA publishing the scheduling proposal in the Federal Register earlier this month.

The agency's ban of 4-OH-DiPT, 5-MeO-AMT, 5-MeO-MiPT, 5-MeO-DET, and DiPT would put five tryptamines in the same category as drugs like heroin, ecstasy, LSD, and of course, cannabis.

Now, the agency's own administrative court has agreed to hold hearings on the matter before the ban can be enacted, after several different parties submitted requests to have a legal hearing on the issue.

On Wednesday, Administrative Law Judge Teresa Wallbaum got the ball rolling by issuing an order that would set hearings into motion.

The DEA is now obliged to submit a prehearing statement by March 28.

Researchers, advocates and stakeholders contesting the rule have until April 27. A prehearing conference will be held virtually on May 4.

The opponents of the agency's proposed ban anticipate that the judge will prevail in their favor and recommend either a lower schedule or no schedule at all for the five compounds.

Either way, the head of the DEA is not required to follow the judge's recommendation.

Matt Zorn, an attorney representing one of the companies against the DEA's scheduling action, told Marijuana Moment that the latest breakthrough helps hold the agency accountable in the process of getting answers.

"The administrative process is capturing a lot of interest within the psychedelic space, and the narrative is going to continue" as these hearings proceed, the attorney said.

"It's a good sign when folks are interested in how our government works and how drug policy is conducted," Zorn added. "I think that this will be a positive step forward for folks to understand how this process works.

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