Psilocybin ban protesters arrested at DEA headquarters

The advocacy group Right to Try Psilocybin held a protest outside DEA headquarters in Washington, DC yesterday to challenge the criminalization of psilocybin, the psychoactive compound in psychedelic mushrooms. The group advocates for the right to use psilocybin to relieve anxiety and end-of-life stress for terminally ill patients.

Numerous studies on psilocybin have shown tremendous potential for the substance’s health benefits, primarily for relieving end-of-life anxiety and major depression. Many local governments have decriminalized psilocybin and other psychedelic substances — also known as entheogens — in recent years, despite their Schedule I status making them illegal at the federal level.

Seventeen protesters were arrested at the “die-in” – like a sit-in, except the protesters pretended to be dead – including David Bronner, CEO (Cosmic Engagement Officer) of Dr. Bronner’s, the soap company. Bronner is an advocate of psychedelics-assisted therapies and Dr. Bronner’s has donated millions to drug defense and research organizations.

The demonstration was a fairly peaceful event and mainly consisted of several people lying down and blocking the entrance to the DEA building. Some smoke bombs were detonated and words were painted on the DEA building including “Right to Try.” The 17 demonstrators were arrested after lying down in front of the building for a few hours.

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Yesterday’s protest questioned the DEA’s response to a request to source psilocybin for medical patients.

The federal Right to Trial Act was signed into law in May 2018 and allows patients diagnosed with a life-threatening disease access to investigational drugs. In January 2021, Dr. Sunil Aggarwal, a Seattle palliative care physician and co-director of the Advanced Integrative Medical Science Institute (AIMS), and Kathryn Tucker, special counsel for the Emerge Law Group, addressed DEA officials and asked how to obtain psilocybin for end-stage patients. DEA officials responded by stating that psilocybin was an illegal Schedule I substance and was not exempted by the Right To Try Act.

In March 2021, Aggarwal and two terminally ill cancer patients sued the DEA, but the case was dismissed earlier this year. In February of this year, AIMS filed a petition with the DEA, requesting a shift in the psilocybin schedule that would relax its restrictions so patients could access it. The DEA has yet to respond to this request.

Yesterday’s Die-In protested the DEA’s stance on keeping psilocybin illegal for terminally ill patients despite the Right To Try Act.

“Access is provided by duly enacted state and federal Right to Negotiate (RTT) laws. Still, the DEA has embarked on delays and hindrances. This is unacceptable. My clients are running out of time,” Tucker said. “The DEA urgently needs to accommodate RTT and allow access. This demonstration shines a bright light on public concern and outrage at the behavior of this agency.”

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The therapeutic potential of psilocybin

In 2019, under the Right To Try Act of 2018, the FDA recognized psilocybin as a breakthrough therapy based on clinical trials for treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder, suggesting that preliminary research on the substance had tremendous potential over existing therapies .

A 2016 study by Johns Hopkins showed that psilocybin greatly reduced anxiety and depression in cancer patients and also improved outlook on life, mood, relationships, and spirituality. Another 2020 study showed the substance’s potential to treat major depression.

Cultures around the world have been consuming psychedelic mushrooms for thousands of years, including prehistoric and ancient cultures of Mesoamerica, Australia, Scandinavia, and Greece, among others.

Commonly known for sending consumers on a psychedelic journey involving hallucinations, sensory distortions, non-linear thinking, and mystical experiences, psilocybin is known for its potential to induce deep insights and feelings of oneness or connection with the surrounding world, typically resulting in positive feelings evokes peace and joy.

Perhaps it is these effects that are thought to have tremendous health benefits for patients, as they may induce a sense of acceptance and clear or “detach” the mind from negative thought patterns.

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Many local governments have decriminalized psilocybin and other psychedelic substances. Most notably, the state of Oregon legalized psilocybin for therapeutic use in November 2020. The law allows the substance to be administered to the mentally ill under the supervision of a licensed agent. The state plans to have psilocybin clinics operational by early 2023.

Many cities have also decriminalized entheogens, including Denver, CO; Oakland and Santa Cruz, CA; Seattle, WA; Ann Arbor and Detroit, MI; Cambridge, Somerville and Northampton, MA; and Washington, DC. The number of cities and states that are decriminalizing entheogens is a testament to the growing acceptance of the substances and their perceived mental health benefits.

Pat Goggins

Pat Goggins is a contributing editor at Leafly and has specialized in cannabis cultivation after working for a commercial grower in Oregon for two years. When you’re not correcting typos, chances are you’ll find him on a boat or in the mountains.

Check out Pat Goggins’ articles

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