The DEA Wants Five More Tryptamines in Schedule I. Comments Close October 23
The federal government is funding ibogaine trials and expanding Schedule I in the same month. The DEA has proposed placing five tryptamine hallucinogens into Schedule I, and comments close October 23. MAPS came out against it on September 29.
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| Key Takeaway | Detail |
|---|---|
| The action | A proposed rule placing five tryptamines into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act |
| The five | 4-OH-DiPT, 5-MeO-AMT, 5-MeO-MiPT, 5-MeO-DET and DiPT |
| The deadline | Comments and hearing requests are due October 23, 2026 |
| Where to file | Docket DEA1715 at regulations.gov |
| Not the first try | DEA proposed the same five in 2022, then withdrew it and asked HHS to review again |
| Not in this rule | Psilocybin, MDMA, ketamine and 5-MeO-DMT are unaffected |
What the Rule Does
The DEA published the proposal on September 23. It would place five tryptamines in Schedule I, along with their salts and isomers.
The five are 4-OH-DiPT, 5-MeO-AMT, 5-MeO-MiPT, 5-MeO-DET and DiPT. None of them is psilocybin, MDMA or ketamine, and none is currently an approved medicine.
Schedule I placement brings the full set of controls. Anyone who manufactures, distributes, imports, exports or researches these substances falls under Schedule I registration and its criminal penalties.
The Federal Register notice sets one date for both comments and hearing requests. Both are due October 23 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern.
This Is the Second Attempt
DEA proposed scheduling these same five substances in January 2022. It withdrew that proposal after pushback from researchers and legal advocates.
The agency then asked Health and Human Services for an updated scientific and medical evaluation in November 2023. This proposal follows that review.
So the current rule is not a surprise action. It is a restart with newer paperwork behind it.
What MAPS Argues
MAPS opposes the scheduling. Its position is that Schedule I does two things at once, shutting down research and turning personal use into a criminal matter.
The group says it does not advocate for adding more drugs to the highest level of the Controlled Substances Act. It argues the evidence in the proposal does not justify the action.
MAPS is an advocacy organization with a stake in the outcome, so read the statement as argument rather than as a neutral summary. The underlying rule is the primary document.
The Split Screen in Federal Policy
This lands in the same month as the opposite signal. ARPA-H is funding early ibogaine trials for opioid use disorder under an executive order meant to speed access.
FDA spent a September hearing working through how approved psychedelics would reach patients, which we covered in our piece on the label fight.
Enforcement scheduling and therapeutic development run on separate tracks inside the government. A clinic watching only one track will keep getting surprised.
Does This Touch a Ketamine Practice?
Not directly. No clinic is dispensing these five compounds, and nothing in the rule changes ketamine or Spravato workflows.
The relevance is the DEA’s posture while it also holds the telehealth question. The agency’s special registration rule and the expiring telehealth flexibilities matter far more to daily operations.
It also matters to research partners. Investigators studying novel tryptamines face a heavier registration burden if this is finalized.
One clarification worth making, since the names look alike. 5-MeO-DMT is not in this rule, and it is the compound behind the largest psychedelic acquisition so far.
What to Do Before October 23
Anyone with a research interest can file a comment or request a hearing in docket DEA1715 at regulations.gov. Both close on the same day.
Clinic operators without a research program can note the date and move on. Our regulatory deadline list covers the ones that hit practice operations.
The broader pattern is worth tracking, because states are being told to prepare for approvals while federal scheduling expands. We covered that guidance in our piece on the federal report.
Patients looking for supervised care can start with our directory of verified ketamine clinics.
This article is for informational purposes and is not legal advice. Deadlines reflect the Federal Register notice as published and can change.
