This academic year, we are offering two unique courses taught by Dr. Mason Marks, our Florida Bar Health Law Section Professor, which will provide students with a deep understanding of the intricacies of drug law and its substantial impact on society. Professor Marks’ research focuses on drug policy, data protection, and FDA regulation. He is particularly interested in controlled substance regulation and the application of artificial intelligence to medical decision making, and his scholarship has been published in many top legal and medical journals. He also is the author of a forthcoming  book on psychedelic law and politics, which will be published by Yale University Press in 2024.

Professor Marks is teaching Psychedelic Law this semester. The course analyzes state, federal, and international laws governing psychedelic substances such as psilocybin, mescaline, ibogaine, and dimethyltryptamine. Students are learning about psychedelic laws of the Global North and South and the roles of international treaties, the First Amendment, state and federal agencies, and local, state, and national drug policy reforms. In the spring, Professor Marks will teach Drug Law, which will introduce students to the historical and contemporary landscape of drug regulation in the United States and beyond. Students will examine key legislation and regulatory bodies, beginning with the origins of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Drug Enforcement Administration. Other topics covered will include the regulation of clinical trials, the development and marketing of pharmaceuticals, the federal Controlled Substances Act, and the ongoing U.S. drug overdose crisis.