In response to recent New York Times reporting on the Justice Department’s easing of marijuana restrictions and a new executive order accelerating psychedelic drug research, Odyssey House President and CEO Dr. Peter Provet urges policymakers and the public not to conflate reform with a declaration of harmlessness. Drawing on decades of experience treating substance use disorders—and seeing firsthand how cannabis can become part of a broader behavioral health struggle—Dr. Provet makes the case that sound drug policy must be grounded in evidence, honest about risk, and centered on prevention, treatment, and recovery.
To the Editor:
Re “Justice Dept. Eases Limits on Marijuana as Medicine” (news article, April 24) and “Trump Signs Executive Order to Relax Limits on Psychedelic Drugs” (news article, April 20):
The Justice Department’s move to ease restrictions on medical marijuana is an important policy shift, and the administration’s separate push to speed research on psychedelic drugs suggests a broader rethinking of federal drug policy. But these changes should not be confused with a declaration that such substances are harmless.
A sensible drug policy should move away from punishment and toward health and wellness, with more emphasis on prevention, treatment and recovery. That shift is welcome, but it must be grounded in evidence and cleareyed about the risks of cannabis and other drugs, especially for young people and those vulnerable to dependence.
At Odyssey House, we see how cannabis use can become part of a broader behavioral health struggle. Public health is best served not by replacing one form of overstatement with another, but by being honest about both the potential benefits and the proven harms.
Peter Provet
New York
The writer is the president and chief executive of Odyssey House.