New Mexico senator says the agency’s delay threatens research into psychedelics and other Schedule I substances that could lead to new psychiatric treatments

Organ Mountain News report

WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich and two colleagues are pressing the Justice Department to explain why it missed a deadline to implement research provisions of the bipartisan HALT Fentanyl Act.

Heinrich, D-N.M., joined U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Angus King, I-Maine, in a letter to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche asking when the department and Drug Enforcement Administration will establish a streamlined process for researchers studying Schedule I controlled substances.

The HALT Fentanyl Act became law July 16, 2025. The measure permanently classified fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs while also requiring the attorney general to create a simplified registration process for eligible researchers.

Under the law, researchers would be able to notify the DEA when beginning certain research instead of waiting for the agency to separately review and approve each project. Congress gave the department six months to establish the process, setting a Jan. 16 deadline.

The senators said that deadline passed without the required rulemaking or guidance.

“The expiration of this deadline and the continued absence of rulemaking or guidance from the Drug Enforcement Administration threaten to hinder research for breakthrough psychiatric treatments,” they wrote.

Scientists studying Schedule I substances can face lengthy registration requirements, repeated site inspections and other administrative delays. Heinrich and the other senators said those barriers can slow research into potential treatments for mental illness and other conditions.

“We recognize the importance of maintaining appropriate controls over Schedule I substances while supporting and accelerating research that may lead to new scientific discoveries and the development of new therapeutics,” the senators wrote.

The letter specifically cites psychedelic drugs, which remain classified as Schedule I substances. The senators said several Schedule I drugs have shown promise in clinical trials and some have received breakthrough therapy designations from the Food and Drug Administration.

They also pointed to a recent executive order from President Donald Trump calling for faster research and approval pathways for psychedelic treatments for serious mental illness.

“As psychedelics are currently classified under Schedule I, timely implementation of the HALT Fentanyl Act is essential to accomplishing these objectives,” the senators wrote.

The lawmakers asked Blanche to provide a timeline for publishing updated Schedule I research registration procedures and to say whether the DEA has created an electronic portal for research notifications.

They also asked what the agency is doing to eliminate duplicative requirements, ensure consistent implementation across DEA field offices and provide guidance or training on the law.

The senators requested a response by July 31.