Psychedelics Today
PT582 – Is the DEA Sabotaging Psychedelic Research? Inside the Push to Schedule DOI and DOC, with Hamilton Morris
Jan 21, 2025
Hamilton Morris, a renowned chemist, filmmaker, and journalist, dives into the crucial issues surrounding the DEA's attempts to classify DOI and DOC as Schedule I substances. He shares his firsthand experiences from a DEA hearing, exposing the bureaucratic mess that stifles psychedelic research. Morris discusses the safety profiles of these compounds, the frustrating exclusion of expert testimonials in court, and the environmental concerns tied to Sonoran Desert toad venom use. This eye-opening conversation emphasizes the pressing need for improved drug policy and advocacy for scientific progress.
57:32
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Quick takeaways
- The DEA's push to classify DOI and DOC under Schedule I status illustrates the agency's excessive power and its detrimental impact on psychedelic research.
- The collaborative efforts of advocacy groups and experts in challenging the DEA's narrative highlight the growing movement for reform in drug policy and evidence-based regulation.
Deep dives
The DEA's Overreach and Its Consequences
The DEA's attempt to schedule substances like DOI and DOC exemplifies a longstanding pattern of excessive power within the agency, where it both creates and enforces laws. This duality raises concerns about corruption and oversight, as evidenced by the arbitrary classification of certain non-drug substances into the Controlled Substances Act. The case illustrates how the DEA can impose restrictions on compounds with no solid scientific or medical basis for their prohibition, limiting researchers' ability to explore their potential benefits. Critics argue that such prohibitions ultimately hinder scientific understanding and innovation, perpetuating a cycle where prohibition does not effectively address drug-related harms.
