A commission formed to examine new methods of improving the mental health of veterans of the U.S. military has concluded in a report that the federal government needs to eliminate some regulatory obstacles that have prevented research into cannabis and psychedelics like psilocybin and MDMA, which are all currently classified as Schedule 1 under the Controlled Substances Act.
“The U.S. federal government’s policies have blocked externally valid, randomized clinical trials on the effects of cannabis,” the report says. “Scientists seeking to conduct research on cannabis must submit to an arduous application process that may last years. The research requires approval from multiple government agencies, including some with stated opposition to any therapeutic uses of cannabis.”
The report goes on to say: “Because VA [United States Department of Veterans Affairs] is unable to conduct research into issues that are actively affecting veterans’ health care (medical cannabis) or issues that could dramatically affect veterans’ health care (medical psychedelics), VA is unable to explore possibilities such as whether medical psilocybin is effective in decreasing anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer.”
Marijuana Moment has more.