DEA Boosts Legal Production Levels For Psychedelics Like Psilocybin And DMT In Final Rule For 2026

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has finalized quotas for legal
production of controlled substances in 2026—further raising the amount of
certain psychedelics that can be made for research purposes in the new year.

In a notice published in the Federal Register on Monday, DEA increased its
quotas for psilocybin, psilocyn and DMT compared to what the agency
proposed in its draft rule in November.

DEA said in its initial proposal that it was moving to boost the quotas for
the psychedelics substances so researchers can study whether they could
serve as “potential treatment of conditions such as post-traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD) and depression.”

Based on public comments the agency received, it said the amounts were
adjusted to be “at higher levels than were proposed,” without expanding on
the specific rationale for the individual quota increases.

The production goal for psilocybin rose from 30,000 grams last year to
40,000 grams in the initial rule for this year—and has now been raised to
50,000 grams in 2026’s final rule.

The psilocyn quota increased from 36,000 grams in 2025 to 48,000 grams in
the initial 2026 rule before being raised again to 80,000 grams in the
final rule for 2026—more than doubling in the span of a year.

For DMT, DEA is proposing to increase the quota from 20,000 grams last year
to 25,000 grams in 2026.

In the agency’s initial rule for this year, the quota for that psychedelic
remained the same but has since been revised in the final rule following
public feedback.

Other substances that saw increases from last year in 2026’s initial rule
have not been further adjusted in the new final rule.

That is the case for methylone, an MDMA-like compound. In 2025, the agency
set a goal of 5,200 grams, but in 2026 it wants 30,000 grams produced The
production goal for the substance was minuscule four years ago, when DEA
proposed the manufacturing of just 40 grams. The same quota was set in 2022
before increasing to 5,200 grams for each subsequent year until 2026, and
is now being increased to 30,000 grams.

DEA set a quota of 30,000 grams of 5-MeO-DMT to be produced in 2026—an
increase from 11,000 grams last year. That is a substantial boost from
2021’s quota of just 35 grams.

Over recent years, DEA has generally ramped up production goals for
marijuana and certain psychedelics as interest in their therapeutic
potential has grown within the public and scientific community.

The proposed 2026 quotas for cannabis, THC, ibogaine, MDMA, LSD and
mescaline were not adjusted since last year, however.


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“These proposed 2026 quotas reflect the quantities that DEA believes are
necessary to meet the estimated medical, scientific, research, and
industrial needs of the United States, lawful export requirements; and the
establishment and maintenance of reserve stocks,” DEA said in its proposed
rule in November.

The agency said that, in setting the quotas, it took into account several
factors, including “projected demand for such class as indicated by
procurement quotas,” information obtained by federal health agencies such
as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and “other factors affecting
medical, scientific, research, and industrial needs in the United States
and lawful export requirements.”

The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) requires the attorney general to set
APQs for Schedule I and Schedule II drugs each year. Notably, that would
mean marijuana would not be part of this annual research production list if
the Justice Department follows through on an executive order signed by
President Donald Trump last month directing the attorney general to move
cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III.

Whether that process if finalized remains to be seen. A report from the
Congressional Research Service noted that DOJ could in theory decline to
enact rescheduling, or start the review process all over again, for example.

The post DEA Boosts Legal Production Levels For Psychedelics Like
Psilocybin And DMT In Final Rule For 2026 appeared first on Marijuana Moment
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