Sam Bankman-Fried’s defense team requested a higher, longer-lasting dose of Adderall on Sunday night, so their client can meaningfully participate in his ongoing trial.
“As we approach the defense case and the critical decision of whether Mr. Bankman-Fried will testify, the defense has a growing concern that because of Mr. Bankman-Fried’s lack of access to Adderall, he has not been able to concentrate at the level he ordinarily would,” said defense attorney Mark Cohen in a court filing.
The defense is requesting a 12-hour extended release 20mg dosage of Adderall, for Bankman-Fried. If the requested dose is not provided, or fails to have the desired effect, the defense is asking that the trial be adjourned on Tuesday, October 17, to address this issue.
Bankman-Fried currently receives a 10mg tablet of Adderall between 4:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. every morning to treat his ADHD, alongside wearing an antidepressant Emsam patch to treat his Major Depressive Disorder. The defense says the Adderall wears off around 9:30 a.m., right when the trial begins, which is in line with how long Adderall’s effects usually last in an adult man.
The therapist of Sam Bankman-Fried for over five years wrote a letter back in August to the Judge presiding over his case, asking that SBF continue to receive his normal medication while he is detained.
If the long-release Adderall does not work, the defense requests that the general counsel provide his usual smaller doses throughout the trial.
Bankman-Fried’s affinity and dependence on stimulants have come up quite often throughout the meltdown of FTX, his detention and now his trial. SBF previously denied employee allegations of a drug and party culture at FTX. He once tweeted, “Stimulants when you wake up, sleeping pills if you need them when you sleep.”
Whether Bankman-Fried will actually testify is still up in the air. The defense team itself has a lot to focus on as former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison delivered a damaging testimony last week.
