Former DEA Official Calls for Overhaul of Drug Classification System

Existing laws have done 'immense damage,' according to analysis co-authored by ex-DEA senior advisor.

Apr. 7, 2026 at 12:21pm

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A heavily textured, fractured painting of an anonymous human figure in muted earth tones and cool blues, conveying the complex human impact of failed drug policies through an abstract, geometric visual style.An abstract, fragmented visual representation of the human toll of outdated drug laws and the need for a new regulatory framework.NYC Today

A former senior advisor at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has co-authored a new analysis arguing that the current federal laws determining how marijuana and other drugs are classified have 'fundamental flaws' that have done 'immense damage.' The paper, published in the journal Science, calls for a major overhaul of the drug scheduling system, including the creation of new categories like a 'harm reduction schedule' and a 'managed market access schedule' to better regulate substances.

Why it matters

The current drug scheduling system under the Controlled Substances Act has been criticized for years as being outdated, unscientific, and contributing to harmful policies like the War on Drugs. This analysis from a former high-ranking DEA official adds to the growing calls for a complete rethinking of how the federal government classifies and regulates psychoactive substances.

The details

The paper, co-authored by Matthew Lawrence, who worked in the DEA's office of the deputy administrator from 2022-2023, and Columbia Law School's David Pozen, argues that the existing drug schedules 'often force regulators into a Hobson's choice between overcriminalizing drugs, through prohibitions that predictably backfire, or overcommercializing drugs, through hands-off approaches that leave users vulnerable to corporate exploitation.' Instead of relying on criminal prohibition, the authors say the U.S. should look to 'capitalism controls' like commercial availability restrictions, advertising limits, and pricing policies to more effectively regulate drugs.

  • The paper was published in the journal Science on April 7, 2026.

The players

Matthew Lawrence

A former senior advisor at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) who worked in the office of the DEA deputy administrator from 2022 to 2023. He is now a professor at Emory University School of Law.

David Pozen

A professor at Columbia Law School and co-author of the paper analyzing issues with the current U.S. drug classification system.

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What they’re saying

“These schedules often force regulators into a Hobson's choice between overcriminalizing drugs, through prohibitions that predictably backfire, or overcommercializing drugs, through hands-off approaches that leave users vulnerable to corporate exploitation.”

— Matthew Lawrence and David Pozen, Co-authors of the paper

“US drug policy relies far too much on criminal prohibitions and far too little on what might be called capitalism controls. Criminal prohibitions have been shown time and again to be ineffective for widely used, habit-forming products.”

— Matthew Lawrence and David Pozen, Co-authors of the paper

What’s next

The authors argue that Congress should create new drug scheduling categories, including a 'harm reduction schedule' for substances like heroin and fentanyl, and a 'managed market access schedule' for drugs like cannabis and psilocybin that would allow for a range of regulatory controls. They say this new framework could also be adopted globally to reshape international drug control treaties.

The takeaway

This analysis from a former high-ranking DEA official adds to the growing consensus that the current U.S. drug scheduling system is fundamentally flawed, overly reliant on criminal prohibition, and in need of a major overhaul. The authors' proposals for new scheduling categories focused on harm reduction and regulated commercial markets point to a potential path forward for more evidence-based and effective drug policies.