Inconsistencies between national drug policy and professional beliefs about psychoactive drugs among psychiatrists in the United States

Mean ratings of safety and abuse/therapeutic potential of alprazolam and methamphetamine were equivalent to that of alcohol, and all three were rated more harmful than psilocybin and ketamine. American psychiatrists’ perceptions about safety and abuse/therapeutic potentials associated with certain psychoactive drugs were inconsistent with those indicated by their placement in drug schedules. These findings add to a growing consensus amongst experts that the current drug policy is not scientifically coherent.