Crafting effective regulatory policies for psychedelics: What can be learned from the case of cannabis?
Addiction June 6, 2024 Wayne Hall, Keith Humphreys, John Marsden et al. 18 citations
The current push to broaden the production, sale, and use of psychedelics parallels the movement to legalize cannabis in the United States and other nations, notably through poorly-evidenced therapeutic claims that create a de facto recreational market via the health care system. Experience with cannabis highlights the value of debating legalization for nonmedical use directly rather than misrepresenting it as a medical issue. Lessons from cannabis policy suggest a need to challenge hype of psychedelic research findings, promote rigorous clinical research on dosing and potency, minimize for-profit industry influence, and coordinate federal, state, and local governments to regulate manufacture, sale, and distribution of psychedelic drugs.