Side event at the 69th session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs

International drug control regimes and domestic drug scheduling laws increasingly impose severe barriers on scientific research. In particular, Schedule I classification creates onerous regulatory hurdles that restrict access, delay studies, and deter researchers from pursuing promising lines of inquiry into substances with potential therapeutic value. These barriers have profound implications for public health, innovation, and evidence-based policymaking.Broadcast live from the 69th Session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs, this panel discussion introduces and examines the concept of “research harm,” the tangible damage caused when drug control frameworks obstruct scientific inquiry, delay medical breakthroughs, and limit the development of effective treatments for mental health conditions, substance use disorders, pain management, overdose prevention, basic brain research, and more.Drawing from real-world legal, scientific, and policy experience, this event will highlight how overly restrictive scheduling undermines the very objectives of the international drug control system, including the promotion of health, well-being, and scientific progress. It will also explore opportunities for reform within existing international frameworks to better balance control with access for legitimate research purposes.

Featuring:

• Moderator: Kat Murti, Executive Director, Students for Sensible Drug Policy
• Dr. Anne Schlag, Head of Research, Drug Science
• Joseph Hennessey, MD/PhD student & Co-Chair, Science Policy Committee, SSDP
• Brooke Sanders, translational neuroscientist & Director of Network Relations & Strategic Expansion, SSDP
• Finnegan McGuinness, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)/esketamine technician & Program Assistant (Listen to Scientists), SSDP
• Gina Giorgio, Director of Strategy and Development, SSDP
• Sabrina Pimpinella, psychologist & member of the board of AUPAC (Association of Users and Professionals for the Comprehensive Approach to Cannabis and Other Drugs)

Organized by Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) with the support of Ágora Ciudadanos Cambiando México, the Brazilian Network for Harm Reduction and Human Rights, theDRCNet Foundation AKA StoptheDrugWar.org, the Finnish Association for Humane Drug Policy, the NorwegianAssociation for Humane Drug Policy, Transform Drug Policy, the Vienna NGOCommittee on Drugs, and Youth RISE (Resource, Information, Support, Education)

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