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

[Tokeativity]

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.

—
Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.

Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.
—

“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.

View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net