(Editor’s note: In her first draft of this article, Dr. Alaina Jaster did not include herself, despite the central role she has played in challenging the agency’s scheduling of DOI and DOC. After some encouragement, she agreed to be profiled!)
Dr. Jaster has been involved in this effort since 2022 and was a party signatory on the filing. During the hearing she was qualified as an expert witness in “Neuroscience and Substance Use Disorders” and testified about methods to assess abuse potential of psychedelics and other substances.
The Editor: Why did you decide to testify and be a part of the filing?
Jaster: When Dr. Ullman first brought this to me in 2022 I was just going to be a witness testifying in opposition to the DEA filing but when it happened again in 2023, I knew I wanted to be more involved as I had finished my dissertation using DOI and was about to graduate. I knew I would have more time to dedicate to formulating arguments, completing my own 8-factor analysis and helping organize the witnesses. I always joked that if I didn’t get my PhD I would’ve gone to law school, so being able to get firsthand experience in policy and law-making was really an exciting opportunity. It was a bonus that I would get to be at DEA headquarters telling them how they’re wrong.
The Editor: What surprised you the most about this experience?
Jaster: I think I was most surprised about where the government decided to put their efforts and what they thought were “gotcha” moments. For example, during my testimony they pulled out an entire binder that included more than one of my posts on twitter/X and referenced them, but yet didn’t bother to prepare their witness for any contradictory evidence and cross-examination. They also thought that by asking me about my personal views about drug legalization they would somehow discredit me, but instead it allowed us to explore how criminalization personally affects families and human beings.