TY - JOUR
T1 - An Ethical Exploration of Barriers to Research on Controlled Drugs
AU - Andreae, Michael H.
AU - Rhodes, Evelyn
AU - Bourgoise, Tyler
AU - Carter, George M.
AU - White, Robert S.
AU - Indyk, Debbie
AU - Sacks, Henry
AU - Rhodes, Rosamond
N1 - Funding Information:
Drs. Sacks, Andreae, and Indyk were supported in part by grant 1R01AT005824-01 from the National Institutes of Health, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. MHA was supported in part by the CTSA Grant 1 UL1 TR001073-01, UL1TR000067, 1 TL1 TR001072- 01, 1 KL2 TR001071-01, from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This work must adhere to the Public Access Policy. We also acknowledge Maud Dupuy for her support in preparing this article.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2016, Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
PY - 2016/4/2
Y1 - 2016/4/2
N2 - We examine the ethical, social, and regulatory barriers that may hinder research on therapeutic potential of certain controversial controlled substances like marijuana, heroin, or ketamine. Hazards for individuals and society and potential adverse effects on communities may be good reasons for limiting access and justify careful monitoring of these substances. Overly strict regulations, fear of legal consequences, stigma associated with abuse and populations using illicit drugs, and lack of funding may, however, limit research on their considerable therapeutic potential. We review the surprisingly sparse literature and address the particular ethical concerns pertinent to research with illicit and addictive substances, such as undue inducement, informed consent, therapeutic misconception, and risk to participants, researchers, and institutions. We consider the perspectives of key research stakeholders and explore whether they may be infected with bias. We conclude by proposing an empirical research agenda to provide an evidentiary basis for ethical reasoning.
AB - We examine the ethical, social, and regulatory barriers that may hinder research on therapeutic potential of certain controversial controlled substances like marijuana, heroin, or ketamine. Hazards for individuals and society and potential adverse effects on communities may be good reasons for limiting access and justify careful monitoring of these substances. Overly strict regulations, fear of legal consequences, stigma associated with abuse and populations using illicit drugs, and lack of funding may, however, limit research on their considerable therapeutic potential. We review the surprisingly sparse literature and address the particular ethical concerns pertinent to research with illicit and addictive substances, such as undue inducement, informed consent, therapeutic misconception, and risk to participants, researchers, and institutions. We consider the perspectives of key research stakeholders and explore whether they may be infected with bias. We conclude by proposing an empirical research agenda to provide an evidentiary basis for ethical reasoning.
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U2 - 10.1080/15265161.2016.1145282
DO - 10.1080/15265161.2016.1145282
M3 - Article
C2 - 26982922
AN - SCOPUS:84961251933
SN - 1526-5161
VL - 16
SP - 36
EP - 47
JO - American Journal of Bioethics
JF - American Journal of Bioethics
IS - 4
ER -
