Critics argue that the Schedule I classification is heavy-handed, based on fear rather than evidence. “It ignores science,” said Maritza Perez, director of the Drug Policy Coalition, a nonprofit focused on drug policy reform. Frustrated with this comprehensive ban and the desire to develop new overdose treatments, a growing number of scientists, doctors and other researchers are protesting.
“A class-wide ban based on chemical structure alone would prevent a lot,” said Gregory Dudley, a chemistry professor at West Virginia University and one of the co-authors of the open letter to Biden. Research could lead to life-saving drugs. In that letter, Dudley and other scientists argued that permanent Schedule I status could “inadvertently criminalize” vital tools to combat the overdose crisis.
Dudley supports a bill introduced last week by US senator Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) called the Temporary Emergency Planning and Testing Act (TEST), which would temporarily reopen it the Schedule I classification but also required the government to evaluate individual fentalos, discarding those bills. with therapeutic uses or without the risk of abuse. Booker hopes he can introduce his bill as a sensible approach to the problem. “This measure hits the middle ground to ensure that we are doing all we can to save lives,” he told WIRED via email.
Even some of the experts who assist with fixed scheduling recognize that the status quo doesn’t work. “I believe that fentanyl-related substances should be permanently included in Schedule I. But I also strongly believe that research on Schedule I drugs—and this is not just about fentanyl-related substances—should made easier,” says Victor Weedn, a forensic pathologist and professor at George Washington University. In addition to fetalog, drugs such as marijuana and psilocybin are also classified as Schedule I, which also hinders research into those substances.
The discovery of a new overdose-reversing drug would be a big win for public health. Naloxone—commonly known by its brand name Narcan—is currently the only drug available popular to reverse an opioid overdose. Molecularly similar to the opioid oxymorphone, naloxone works by binding to opioid receptors, blocking the effects of other opioids. It’s not a silver bullet, but it has become an important tool to keep people alive. However, it is often in short supply and can be expensive.
“Anything we can do to increase the variety of products on the market,” said Stacy McKenna, a harm reduction fellow at the liberal-leaning consultancy R Street Institute. could potentially help fix supply chain issues and hopefully lower prices.” “And there may be something that works better to help reverse a fentanyl overdose.”
Although naloxone can reverse a fentanyl overdose, it is not always as effective as it is with weaker opioids. “One problem is relapse,” says Traynor. A dose of naloxone that can revive someone who takes too much heroin may lose its effect on fentanyl users, causing their overdose symptoms to return. This means that multiple doses of naloxone may be needed to prevent a fentanyl overdose—bad news for people who may only have a single dose on hand. If there was another option that was more effective at specifically reversing fentanyl overdose, it could be seismically lifesaving.
