Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained: Regulations Cripple Potentially Life-Saving Research of Illicit Substances
Kodye L. Abbott, Kristina Gill, Patrick Flannery, Dawn M. Boothe, Muralikrishnan Dhanasekaran, Satyanarayana R. Pondugula
ACS Chemical Neuroscience May 12, 2020 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.0c00241 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | LSD Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Cripple Nothing Hallucinogen Pharmacology |
| Citations | 7 |
| Key points | Argues that modifying current drug scheduling regulations to reclassify illicit substances would allow more extensive research and could advance potentially life-saving studies. |
Abstract
Modern day research, in an attempt to determine the potential therapeutic and adverse effects of illicit substances, is a growing field, but one that faces many regulatory challenges. Due to the potential abuse of illicit substances such as Cannabis, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin, regulations have been conceived with the intent of preventing harm and addiction. However, these regulations have also become a major barrier for the scientific community as they suffocate attempts of the scientists to acquire illicit substances for research purposes. Therefore, it is imperative to modify the current regulations of drug scheduling, leading to a reclassification of illicit substances that would allow for extensive testing in research settings. This reclassification effort could advance the potentially life-saving research of illicit substances.