DEA Wants Way More Cannabis & Psychedelics for Research In 2022

The interest in marijuana globally isn't rescinding anytime soon. This has birthed confidence in the hearts of marijuana enthusiasts that it may lead to more research and possibly federal legalization. Well, such hopes for legalization steam from news like this: the DEA wanting more cannabis and psychedelics for research in the coming year 2022. 

The DEA calling for a mass increase in production 

The Drug Enforcement Administration has made an official call for a dramatic increase in research-based psychedelics and cannabis production for 2022. In a report by Marijuana Moment, the Federal agency will declare its interest in a notice scheduled for publication on Monday that has become the topic of interest within the cannabis industry. 

The DEA has already increased its 2021 quota for psilocybin and cannabis in September 2021 but is now calling for an even larger quantity of research-grade cannabis with a broader array of psychedelics for production in 2022. 

A plan to double the number of cannabis extracts, psilocin and psilocybin, quadruple mescaline, and quintuple DMT is in the works, and the most outstanding is MDMA. The DEA has proposed a massive 6,300% increase in drug production from 50 grams in 2021 to 3,200 grams in 2022. There will be more research into the therapeutic potentials of the drug. 

While LSD will have a 1.150% increase which is up to 500 grams of powerful psychedelic, cannabis will get a 60% boost under this new DEA proposal, up to 3.2 million grams in 2022 from its initial 2 million grams in 2020. 

The reason for the increase in research-based cannabis and psychedelics 

In its Register Notice, the DEA mentioned that it has been getting and approving new applications for organizations to "Grow, synthesize, extract and manufacture dosage forms containing schedule 1 hallucinogenic substances for clinical trial purposes." 

The DEA also maintains that it supports 'Regulated" research with schedule 1 monitored substances which it has proven through its proposed increase in production in 2022 compared to what was obtainable in 2021. 

The agency added that it was diligently working to process and approve cannabis manufacturers' applications because currently, there is only one farm at the University of Mississippi that allows for the plant's cultivation for research purposes. 

The increase in clinical trial applications from the DEA is as follows:

• 3.4 increase in Methylendioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)

• 5-Methoxy-N-N-Dimethyltryptamine

• Dimethyltryptamine

• Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)

• Marihuana

• Marihuana Extract

• Mescaline

• Psilocybin

• Psilocyn

• All Tetrahydrocannabinols

These increments will support manufacturing activities related to the heightened level of research and clinical trials with the schedule 1 controlled substances.

A breakdown of the exact numbers for the 2021 and 2022 quotas: 

The role of the public, researchers and experts

After the notice is published on Monday, the agency will have a 30-day comment timeline that allows people to make comments about the new quotas. It is also interesting to note that these changes are happening because of the public's interest in marijuana. 

If the people are not keen on researching cannabis, then there will be no need to increase the quotas set in 2021. The DEA agrees that it cannot ignore the rising "Scientific and public" interest in cannabis and psychedelics, leading to more clinical trials. These clinical trials all show the therapeutic potential of cannabis which will be suitable for medicine. 

The Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Nora Volkov, asserts that she was encouraged by the agency's proposed rise in the production quota. She also maintained that studies have repeatedly shown that the advantages of psychedelics could make more people experiment with psilocybin. 

Experts, researchers, and advocates for these fungi are frustrated by the strict rules which place the natural gifts as a schedule 1 substance. They believe that given the fact that these substances have medical value for some conditions, they shouldn't be categorized as 'Dangerous." 

In August, a federal appellate court dismissed a petition to make the DEA reevaluate cannabis scheduling under its Controlled Substance Act. But after the ruling, a judge gave a concurring opinion that the agency may be compelled to reconsider a change in its policy. These changes may be necessary because the therapeutic value of marijuana has been misinterpreted. 

In a separate petition, the attorney general's office of the Washington State and its lawyers representing cancer patients have urged a federal appeal panel to enable a policy change with the DEA. The policy change is meant to allow people experiencing the end of life medical care to gain access to psilocybin under federal and state "Right to Try" laws. These moves from researchers and experts are made to show the DEA that it has been fighting a lost battle against cannabis for the longest time. It is now time to give nature's gift to us a chance to positively impact Americans' lives. 

Although there is much excitement about all that will happen in 2022, one can only imagine the progress we would have made if we had started much earlier. Hopefully, this move also compels other states that haven't legalized cannabis to reconsider their decisions and take a forward-thinking stance. 

Bottom Line

When a federal agency like the DEA starts increasing its quota on any substance or shows such keen interest in a substance, it tells a lot about it. Yes, cannabis is still largely illegal at the federal level, and this should be a good reason for the DEA to avoid all marijuana-related conversations. 

Yet, here we are, reading exciting news about the possibility of increasing the amount of cannabis produced for research purposes. This shows that in 2022, so much more will happen in the cannabis industry, and the DEA is already positioning itself for that experience.  The greater the marijuana research, the higher the possibility of more marijuana-based products manufactured for commercial use. What a time to be a cannabis enthusiast and watch the industry blossom even further in 2022!!