A prominent U.S. Health Official, Francis Collins, proclaimed the therapeutic potential of psychedelics like MDMA and psilocybin. He also slammed current federal restrictions preventing research into marijuana.
Francis Collins is the director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). During a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing, Senator Brain Schatz (D) asked Collins questions about psychedelics and cannabis.
Sen. Schatz said there is potentially promising clinical research into the substances, and he referenced a letter NIH sent him back in 2019. The letter recognized the medical value of some psychedelics. The senator requested a status update from Collins on how the agency is navigating the issue.
“There has been a resurgence of interest in psychedelic drugs, which for a while were sort of considered not an area that researchers legitimately ought to go after,” Collins replied. “And I think as we’ve learned more about how the brain works, we’ve begun to realize that these are potential tools for research purposes and might be clinically beneficial.”
As an example, Collins brought up psilocybin, noting that “clinical trials have found that the compound appears to effectively treat depression.” He also touched on MDMA and LSD because they are also undergoing investigation.
Next Steps for the NIH
During the hearing, the subcommittee wanted to know about the next steps for NIH regarding psychedelics. Collins talked about the communication happening with other federal agencies, like the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). He said they are considering having a workshop to review what they have learned so far and what is open for further exploration.
He added that the two federal agencies have also discussed designing the next generation of clinical trials to see the benefits of going beyond depression and moving into topics such as PTSD.
“I think over the course of the next year we’re going to want to have a hard look at this,” he said.
Collins discussed the two federal agencies being in the process of looking into psychedelics. They are working with the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Starting this month, they are holding a series for speakers to discuss the therapeutic potential of psilocybin mushrooms.
Marijuana Discussion at the Hearing
During the hearing, Schatz asked about marijuana research and if there was progress in removing barriers to studying it.
“We are making some progress,” Collins said. He added researchers have limitations and limited opportunities for access. Due to Schedule I status, researchers have to overcome significant hurdles to gain access to the plant. Plus, only one federally authorized source of marijuana is available for study purposes at the University of Mississippi.
Collins suggested that the government should moderate the Schedule I restriction. He feels that there should be a modified Schedule I category created. He called it ‘Schedule I-R,’ this will allow researchers to have access to a new pathway to obtain marijuana for research purposes.
The director also committed to working with Schatz’s office on legislation to further remove marijuana research barriers in the future.
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