The DEA has shared its final production quotas for research drugs for 2023 and is now aiming for further manufacturing goals of several psychedelic compounds, rather than the already substantial increases proposed in 2022, reported Marijuana Moment.
The agency stated that it is committed to providing adequate and uninterrupted supply of controlled substances in order to meet the estimated medical, scientific, research, and industrial needs of the U.S. for lawful export requirements, and the establishment and maintenance of reserve stocks. As such, the production quota numbers for psilocyn would go from the original 8,000 grams to 12,000 grams, 5 MeO-DMT from 6,000 to 11,000 grams, MDMA from 8,200 to 12,000 grams, MDA from 200 to 12,000 grams and 2 CB from 25 to 5,100 grams.
In the case of marijuana, the DEA suggested the production of 6.7 million grams -- or 14,770 pounds -- for medical and scientific purposes, more than double that of 2022. Licensed cultivators can apply to become federal marijuana suppliers under the National Institute on Drug Abuse NIDA. Several companies have made recommendations to raise DEA's proposed quotas in the wake of preclinical and clinical research, particularly for PTSD, TRD, schizophrenia and anxiety.
The proposal also received a comment regarding the creation of diversified categories for production and research on psilocybin-containing fungi fruiting bodies sclerotia liquid culture similar to cannabis flower fruiting bodies extract and psilocyn separately as purified compounds akin to delta 9 THC and applying that same system for mescaline and other plants, fungi and lifeforms producing these compounds.
The agency stated that the suggestions don't affect the analysis involved in setting the production quotas for each substance.
The DEA has recently backed down a decision to ban two psychedelic compounds claimed to have scientific value and a separate project to list five tryptamines as Schedule I substances because they seem to be listening to what is taking place in the psychedelics space.