Regulating Psilocybin as Food, Not Drugs
Julia Etkin, Vincent Joralemon
Psilocybin, currently a Schedule I controlled substance with no accepted medical use and high abuse potential, is actually among the safest psychoactive compounds by comparative-harm metrics—far safer than alcohol and tobacco, which are exempt from the Controlled Substances Act and regulated as adult-use commodities. This essay argues that psilocybin should be regulated under food law, specifically the dietary-supplement framework of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, rather than drug law.