Shaping the Future of Psychedelic Policy at Harvard Law School

This month, Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) joined leading thinkers in psychedelic law, policy, science, and ethics for Psychedelics Bootcamp 2025 at Harvard Law School. Organized by the Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics, in partnership with the Project on Psychedelics Law and Regulation (POPLAR), this two-day intensive brought together a dynamic group of students, scholars, practitioners, and advocates to chart the future of equitable access to psychedelic therapies and research.

SSDP’s Director of Strategy and Development Gina Giorgio attended alongside our General Counsel Brett Phelps and Science Policy Committee Co-Chair Joseph Hennessey. Together, they brought SSDP’s unique perspective as a youth-led network advocating for sensible drug policies, emphasizing the importance of centering equity, access, and harm reduction in the emerging psychedelic space.

In particular, the SSDP team reflected on our work fighting the proposed DEA scheduling of DOI and DOC, two psychedelic research compounds. In November 2024, Brett, Joseph, and Gina were present at the DEA’s historic administrative hearing, where SSDP joined nearly a dozen scientific witnesses to testify on the potential harm to research and public health posed by placing these substances in Schedule I. This case marked the first time in decades that the DEA’s scheduling process was challenged in person, and it was the first scheduling case where “research harm” was raised as a formal consideration.

At Harvard, the Bootcamp offered space for robust dialogue across sectors—including law, public health, indigenous perspectives, and ethics—about how psychedelic policy can evolve responsibly. Highlights included conversations on FDA pathways, state-level regulatory frameworks, and the role of grassroots advocacy in shaping policy.

💌 We are deeply grateful to the Petrie-Flom Center and POPLAR for curating such a thoughtful program and creating opportunities to learn from and with such a brilliant mix of voices.

As the psychedelic landscape continues to develop, SSDP remains committed to ensuring that young people, students, and impacted communities have a seat at the table. Together, we can build policies that safeguard science, prevent overregulation, and accelerate equitable access to care.To get involved with SSDP’s psychedelic policy work, join our Science Policy Committee and Psychedelics Committee today.