Psychedelic Substances

The Imperial College London's Centre for Psychedelic Research will run the first clinical trial of depression treatment with the psychedelic and illegal substance dimethyltryptamine (DMT). It will be held in in collaboration with Small Pharma, with a neuropharmaceutical company.

Small Pharma stated that the approval is a "truly ground-breaking moment" in the treatment of depression and the chief medical and scientific officer at the company, Carol Routledge, has added that she believes that "Psychedelic assisted therapy will revolutionise the treatment of depression because it gets right to the root cause of the illness".

Voters have approved Measure 109 that directs the Oregon Health Authority to create a state-licensed, psilocybin-assisted therapy program over the next two years. In addition, a regulation plan for the substance should be developed by the authorities as psilocybin remains a Schedule I substance under federal rules.

The measure aims to help patients with chronic mental health issues like PTSD, depression and addiction as well as reducing anxiety for patients who are dying.

The Canadian government has announced that the usage of psychedelic mushrooms will be permitted as part of a "psilocybin therapy" for terminally ill patients. The intended benefit is to help people to ease their fear of death and end-of-life anxiety.

Four patients had previously appealed to the Canadian Minister of Health Patty Hajdu in order to get an approval for exemption in order to obtain and consume the substance which became illegal in Canada in 1974.

Laurie Brooks, one of the four patients, has stated: "I want to thank the Health Minister and Health Canada for approving my request for psilocybin use. The acknowledgement of the pain and anxiety that I have been suffering with means a lot to me, and I am feeling quite emotional today as a result. I hope this is just the beginning and that soon all Canadians will be able to access psilocybin, for therapeutic use, to help with the pain they are experiencing, without having to petition the government for months to gain permission."

The Initiative PDX-01 has managed approval for inclusion on the ballot of the presidential elections of the United States in November. Voters in Oregon will decide if psilocybin will be allowed for therapeutic use. The measure calls for a transition period of two years in which therapists will be licensed to be approved to treat patients with the psychedelic substance that is found in psychedelic mushrooms.

The chief petitioner of the campaign Sheri Eckerd has stated that "This careful, regulated approach can make a real difference in peoples’ lives and we’re looking forward to bringing this program to the state" advocating for approval by the voters. Oregon would be the first state to legalize the limited use of the substance.