MDMA (also called ecstasy) is also Schedule I right now. The FDA has already rejected the approval application twice because of safety concerns, especially heart problems. Even though veterans and their supporters in Congress are pushing hard for faster approval, the FDA has to complete its safety review and the DEA has its own independent legal authority to make scheduling decisions. That means political pressure doesn't override scientific review, and the process will take longer than optimists expect.
Two prior FDA Complete Response Letters, DEA's independent scheduling authority under the Controlled Substances Act, and emerging cardiac safety literature constitute a three-layer delay mechanism. Congressional VA appropriations language cannot override pharmacological review requirements or DEA statutory authority. The January 2028 date is falsifiable and anchored to realistic procedural timelines. Dissenting agents (veteran advocates, MAPS researchers) represent political optimism not procedural reality.