After Schedule I: Federal Psychedelic Rescheduling and the Impact on State Law

After schedule 1 banner

Monday, November 17 | 1:00 – 2:00 pm (PT) | Zoom
BCLT Life Sciences Law & Policy Center

1.00 General CLE Credit Available

Register | Resources (in progress)

Psychedelics have long been legally inaccessible. That might change soon. Join us as we explore the complex legal and regulatory pathway for psychedelic drug rescheduling. As promising clinical trial data for substances like psilocybin and MDMA emerges, a critical question remains: how should these compounds move from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act to become accessible medical treatments?

This discussion aims to demystify the rescheduling process and the central role of the FDA in that evaluation, featuring experts from the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), Porta Sophia, and New Approach PAC. We will also analyze the downstream consequences, including how state-level “trigger laws” might automatically — or fail to automatically — conform to a new federal schedule, creating a complex patchwork of state and federal legality.

Moderator

Vince Joralemon headshot

Vincent Joralemon
Director, Life Sciences Law & Policy Center, BCLT, UC Berkeley Law

Vincent Joralemon is the Director of the Life Sciences Law and Policy Center at the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology (BLCT). His scholarship focuses on: psychedelics, psychopharmacology, and other emerging therapeutics; evidence generation and FDA reform; and innovation policy that enables responsible use of data across life sciences research and development.

Panelists

Ismail L. Ali headshot   

Ismail L. Ali
Co-Executive Director, MAPS

As a Co-Executive Director of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), Ismail is a leading drug policy advocate and attorney. Ali has led MAPS’ policy work and now helps steer the organization’s strategy to expand equitable, evidence-based access to psychedelic therapies.
Graham Pechenik headshot

Graham Pechenik
Founder, Calyx Law

Graham Pechenik is a registered patent attorney and the founder of Calyx Law, a firm specializing in intellectual property for cannabis and psychedelics ventures. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Psychedelic Bar Association, is editor-at-large at Psychedelic Alpha, and works with the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics on tracking federal and state developments in psychedelic regulation and policy.
Shahin Shams headshot

Shahin Shams
Data and Patent Analyst, Porta Sophia

As a Data and Patent Analyst at Porta Sophia, a nonprofit public benefit organization dedicated to protecting psychedelic access and innovation, Shams’ work has focused largely on pre- and post-grant patent interventions and state policy advocacy. She holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering and is currently a 2L at UC Berkeley Law.
tamar todd headshot

Tamar Todd
Lecturer, UC Berkeley Law

Tamar teaches courses on cannabis and psychedelics law and police at Berkeley Law. She is an experienced attorney with expertise in policy advocacy, legislative drafting, statewide political campaign strategy, regulatory implementation, and non-profit management in the areas of drug law reform, marijuana law and policy, public health, and criminal justice.