b'The Drug Scheduling SystemIn general, drug scheduling systems in each country are arranged from Schedule I to Schedule IV or V in descending order of restrictiveness, with some exceptions. In the U.S. and in the UN Convention, Schedule I is reserved for those substances seen to create a serious risk to public health while also lacking any recognized therapeutic value. In Canada, some of these same drugs are classified as Schedule III, but they are still tightly controlled. While national laws have a common basis in the UN 1971 Convention, there are also subtle variations in how their scheduling systems are laid out. This represents both a challenge and an opportunity: while understanding different regulatory environments andknowinghowtonavigatethemrequiresbroadexpertiseand experience,havingtheoptionofchoosingoneovertheother represents the opportunity to employ what may be a useful strategy.Drug Licensing for ResearchAn important aspect of controlling theuseofpsychedelicsisthe licensing requirements in place for conducting research in each country. Aswiththeschedulingsystems, each country has a different set of licensingconditionsthatstrictly limit research to legitimate activities ataqualifiedsite.IntheU.S.,for instance,organizationsrequirea Schedule I site license for facilities wherestudieswillbeconducted. In Canada, there are two potential paths to regulatory approval for research activities: organizations can request that a Controlled Drugs and Substances License be issued for a specific site; or a Principal Investigator can file for an exemption to restrictions. Exemptions are awarded on the basis of the specific protocol, Principal Investigator, site, and substance outlined in the application. Site inspections are conducted to ensure compliance with physical security requirements. This process can be time-consuming; for instance, the average time delay to get an exemption in Canada is 42 working days 2 .'