Don’t Block Psychedelic Research

In November 2024, SSDP brought the Drug Enforcement Agency to court. During this week-long hearing expert scientists and researchers testified about two substances – 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI) and 2,5-dimethoxy-4-chloroamphetamine (DOC), two important research chemicals that the DEA wants to put in Schedule I, the most restrictive level of drug classification. This decision could set back research in huge ways, and scientists are speaking out.

This hearing was the first of its kind to hear testimony regarding the factor of research harm in this proposed rulemaking. Eight out of nine of SSDP’s expert witnesses directly testified to the damage placing DOI in Schedule I would have on research. Ultimately, Judge Soeffing agreed that research harm would result if DOI were put in Schedule I, yet – and in spite of overwhelming evidence demonstrating the low risk DOI poses to society and individuals – he recommended placing DOI in Schedule I.

The facts are clear: DOI and DOC are not popular recreational drugs; epidemiological and law enforcement seizure data indicates that DOI and DOC make up a vanishingly small percentage of all recreational drugs being used, often not being reported once in a single year. There is also no evidence of diversion of DOI from research settings for illicit use. On the contrary, DOI has been an invaluable tool in pharmacology research for close to five decades, being used in hundreds of experiments. All evidence points to DOI and DOC posing no public health threat.

We are increasingly seeing dramatic interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelics, and DOI and DOC are no exception. Besides its use in basic biomedical research investigating the serotonin system, research is also showing that DOI has putative therapeutic effects, such as anti-addictive, antiemetic and nociceptive properties. Research has shown that DOI and similar compounds could be the building blocks to the next generation of anti-inflammatory drugs, yet the DEA believes these drugs have no medical benefits, and are willing to overlook their role as a research tool.

In the wake of this recommendation, SSDP will be taking the DEA back to court and will continue our multi-year effort to prevent the DEA from effectively blocking crucial medical research.