Victoria Litman - The Future of Psychedelic Regulation Is Local

Psychedelics policy is moving forward locally, and Victoria Litman argues that U.S. psychedelic access will be shaped more by state action than by federal agencies. Litman connects this shift to the FDA’s 2024 rejection of psychedelic-assisted therapy, framing it as less of a dead end and more of a catalyst for states to build access pathways. She points to state initiatives such as Oregon’s Psilocybin Services Act and Colorado’s Natural Medicine Health Act as examples of emerging regulatory models. She emphasizes constitutional and legal limits on federal control, highlighting the Tenth Amendment and the anti-commandeering doctrine as mechanisms that let states proceed even when federal inaction persists. Litman also suggests states can leverage existing cannabis regulatory infrastructure to create safer, scalable systems, while addressing ethical and cultural issues including protections for spiritual and religious use.