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As the Biden administration’s marijuana scheduling review continues, the head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) says his agency is uniquely positioned to “update the science” to ensure that drugs are “properly” classified under federal law.

During a hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) asked HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra about his agency’s role in the “scheduling process” under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) as compared to that of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which is now considering HHS’s recommendation to move cannabis to Schedule III.

While the senator didn’t explicitly mention marijuana in his question, HHS did recently complete an 11-month review into the plant under a directive from President Joe Biden last year, reaching the conclusion that the science no longer supports keeping cannabis in Schedule I.

That decision is ultimately left up to DEA, however. HHS’s scientific findings are binding, but DEA can still make any scheduling decision it sees fit after it completes its own review.

“It is our responsibility to try to give the science on substances so that, therefore, DEA can then decide where to classify that substance when it comes to being a narcotic or a substance that could have an impact on society,” Becerra told the senator. “We undertake an effort to make sure that we update the science. We want to make sure that if we’re scheduling a particular substance or drug, it’s properly scheduled.”

Watch the secretary discuss its role in the drug scheduling review process, starting at 2:20:20 in the video below:

In general, HHS and DEA have historically been aligned on what constitutes proper scheduling, which is why congressional researchers said in a recent report that it’s “likely” DEA will go along with the Schedule III recommendation. DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said in July that she will “look at all the research” and “keep an open mind” as her agency considers scheduling action.

But the stakes are arguably higher with marijuana compared to other drugs that have gone through this review process. And DEA is facing significant pressure from opposing sides of the debate, with GOP hardliners and former administrators of the agency pushing it to maintain the status quo while advocates and stakeholders press for reform.

Becerra mentioned fentanyl as an example of a drug that’s “having an impact on our country,” making its scheduling status all the more relevant.

“We want to make sure that they are properly, based on the science, scheduled for activity,” he said. “We also want to, for example, make sure that we can do the research that’s necessary to determine how to schedule a drug.”

Again, Heinrich and Becerra didn’t specifically discuss the marijuana review, though the secretary has taken an active interest in promoting the agency’s work to expeditiously complete its work and submit a recommendation to DEA under Biden’s directive.

Becerra has also been known to play into cannabis culture as his agency has worked to update the public about the status of the scheduling review, sharing news about the issue at the symbolic time of 4:20 on more than one occasion, for example.

The exact content of the HHS recommendation and scientific findings has not yet been disclosed, however. The agency has so far only released a heavily redacted letter to DEA’s Milgram notifying her about its conclusion.

What’s also unclear is the timeline for when DEA will complete its cannabis review. For what it’s worth, however, a former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) official says he’d be “shocked” if DEA doesn’t reschedule marijuana by next year’s presidential election.

Meanwhile, a coalition of 31 bipartisan House lawmakers has sent a letter the DEA administrator last month, urging her to take into account congressional and state marijuana legalization efforts as the agency carries out its scheduling review. They also criticized the limitations of simple rescheduling as they push for complete a complete removal of marijuana from the CSA.

The letter serves as a counterbalance to other recent messages DEA has received from congressional opponents of reform and former DEA and White House drug czars who argue that even moving marijuana to Schedule III would go too far.

Fourteen Republican congressional lawmakers recently urged DEA to “reject” the top federal health agency’s recommendation to reschedule marijuana and instead keep it in the most restrictive category under the CSA.

Two GOP senators, including the lead Republican sponsor of a marijuana banking bill that cleared a key committee in September, have also recently filed legislation to prevent federal agencies from rescheduling cannabis without tacit approval from Congress.

Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) separately submitted an amendment for a spending bill that would prevent the Justice Department from using federal funds to reschedule or deschedule marijuana.

Advocates and lawmakers who support cannabis reform, meanwhile, marked the one-year anniversary of Biden’s mass marijuana pardon and scheduling directive by calling on him to do more—including by expanding the scope of relief that his pardon had and by expressly supporting federal legalization.

First-Ever Congressional Hearing On Psychedelic-Assisted Mental Health Care For Veterans Will Be Held Tuesday

The post Top Federal Health Official Touts Science-Based Drug Scheduling Process Amid Marijuana Review appeared first on Marijuana Moment.

As marijuana reform continues to stagnate in the Wisconsin legislature, bipartisan and bicameral lawmakers have come together to introduce a new bill that would create a psilocybin research pilot program in the state.

Sens. Jesse James (R) and Dianne Hesselbein (D), as well as Reps. Nate Gustafson (R) and Clinton Anderson (D), are sponsoring the legislation, which would focus on exploring the therapeutic potential of the psychedelic in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among veterans.

The pilot program would be facilitated through the University of Wisconsin at Madison, which already operates a multidisciplinary psychedelics research division that launched in 2021.

Veterans who are 21 and older with diagnosed treatment-resistant PTSD would be eligible to participate in the program. Psilocybin would need to be provided through existing pathways under the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which has designated the psychedelic as a “breakthrough therapy.”

I am proud to be a cosponsor of legislation to create a psilocybin pilot program for veterans with PTSD alongside @SenJesseJames @RepAnderson45 @RepGustafson https://t.co/50EgccI8w8

— State Senator Dianne H. Hesselbein (@SenHesselbein) November 9, 2023

“Wisconsinites, especially our veterans struggling with treatment-resistant PTSD, deserve the ‘Right to Try’ the best possible care and support,” Gustafson said in a statement. “I am proud to work across the aisle to propose a bipartisan bill to create a medicinal psilocybin treatment pilot to fulfill our moral duty to our veterans, who have selflessly served our country.”

The bill would create a medicinal psilocybin treatment fund to support the research, with an initial infusion of $100,000 in appropriations. Charitable gifts and donations could also be accepted by the university to expand the fund.

The university’s board of regents would need to submit findings to the governor and legislators within six months of the study’s completion.

“The mental health of our veterans is incredibly important. Increasing treatment opportunities for veterans with PTSD is something we should all agree on,” Anderson said in a press release. “I’m proud of this bipartisan bill to support those who served our country.”

“The mental health of our veterans is incredibly important. Increasing treatment opportunities for veterans with PTSD is something we should all agree on. I’m proud of this bipartisan bill to support those who served our country”, said Rep. Anderson. pic.twitter.com/8dxwV4hwck

— State Representative Clinton Anderson (@RepAnderson45) November 9, 2023

Sponsors circulated a cosponsorship memo on Thursday to bolster support, writing to colleagues that psilocybin “has shown immense promise in providing relief to those suffering from various mental health conditions, including PTSD.”

Studies such as one conducted at NYU have documented significant improvements in the quality of life for PTSD patients treated with psilocybin,” they said. “Patients reported increased engagement in external activities, higher energy levels, improved family relationships, and enhanced work performance. These findings underline the potential benefits of psilocybin therapy in addressing the mental health needs of our veterans.”

“By co-sponsoring this bill, you are not only championing the well-being of our nation’s veterans but also contributing to the generation of essential data that will inform our future policies regarding psilocybin,” the memo says, requesting responses from lawmakers interested in joining as cosponsors by November 17.

While psychedelics policy has emerged as an issue of bipartisan interest in an ideologically mixed number of states across the country in recent years, this represents one of the first legislative pushes in Wisconsin—and there are some questions about its prospects in the GOP-controlled legislature where even modest medical marijuana legislation has consistently stalled.

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Wisconsin Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Melissa Agard (D), have been pushing for cannabis legalization as a growing number of neighboring states (most recently Ohio) have moved to enact the reform. But Republican leadership has only floated the idea of advancing limited medical cannabis legislation so far.

That’s in spite of economic findings that legalization could generate hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue for Wisconsin.

It’s possible, of course, the psychedelics finds a more accepting home in Madison. Psilocybin research legislation has advanced in conservative states like Texas and Oklahoma as lawmakers across the aisle have been compelled by research into the therapeutic potential of substances such as psilocybin for mental health treatment.

For now, however, the psilocybin research bill is in its early phase, with sponsors working to build a broader coalition of initial supporters before the bill is referred to committee.

Read the text of the Wisconsin psilocybin research bill and cosponsorship memo below: 

Former FDA Official Says He’d Be ‘Shocked’ If DEA Doesn’t Reschedule Marijuana By 2024 Election

The post Bipartisan Wisconsin Lawmakers File Bill To Create Psilocybin Research Pilot Program For Military Veterans With PTSD appeared first on Marijuana Moment.