Top Drug Official Says Psychedelic Use Is Rising, Biden Administration Clemency For Drug Offenders

Studies demonstrating the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics could be leading more people to experiment with substances like psilocybin, a top federal drug official said in a new interview with Marijuana Moment. And when it comes to cannabis research, she said scientists should be allowed to investigate products from state-legal dispensaries instead of using only government-grown plants. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Director Nora Volkow also spoke in the Thursday interview about the need to decriminalize drug possession and her surprise that teen marijuana use has not increased as more states enact legalization. The Biden administration is taking a first step toward granting presidential relief to hundreds of people on home confinement for federal drug convictions, with the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) asking eligible individuals to get the process started by filling out clemency applications.