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Why access to psilocybin therapy is still limited despite proven effectiveness

Why Is Ottawa Stalling Proven Magic Mushroom Therapy for the Dying?

After two psilocybin-assisted therapy sessions, a terminal cancer patient, Thomas Hartle, says that “ I can’t emphasize enough how much of my life it has given back. Even months later, it’s much easier for me to be able to clear my head of those useless, anxious thoughts.” While many patients like Hartle are having great success with psilocybin therapy, Canada’s bureaucratic application process is limiting the number of patients who can access it, with 119 exemption applications awaiting review. In order to administer psilocybin therapy effectively, it is crucial that medical professionals experience the drug for themselves, yet only 19 medical professionals have been granted access to it. CEO of TheraPsil, Spencer Hawkswell, says Health Canada is pushing for clinical trials before granting more exemptions, but these trials are incredibly labour-intensive, have strict criteria, and cost millions. Dr. Pam Kryskow of the Canadian Psychedelic Association is advocating to include psychedelic therapy as a palliative care option under Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying legislation, which would allow terminal patients access to psilocybin without going through the slow application process. Krysow believes “that given their safety profile, given their efficacy, given how cheap they are… at this point it’s unethical to not be doing this.”

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Government health official says feds should work with states to ensure equitable access to psychedelic therapy

Feds Should Work With—Not Against—States That Legalize Psychedelics, Government Health Official Says.

At a speaker series hosted by the National Institute of Health (NIH), government health official, Sean Belouin predicted that safety and ethical considerations of psychedelics reform “will rapidly become front-and-center regulatory and policy issues” as more states and municipalities follow Oregon in pursuing the medicalization and decriminalization of psychedelics. Belouin believes that the federal government and other stakeholders need to work with state regulatory agencies to ensure “equitable access of psychedelic therapy for all patients regardless of income status, insurance plans, no insurance or other disparity-limiting factors”. Belouin is a captain of the US Public Health Service and senior science policy advisor with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), so his recommendations gives hope that psychedelic reform will be expedited through federal engagement.

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A counsellor’s experience with psilocybin-assisted therapy

A clinical counsellor describes his legal trip on magic mushrooms

A registered clinical counsellor, Dave Phillips, went on a mushroom trip for research purposes and said it was “the most powerful personal experience I’ve ever had in my life” and that it gave him “the most overwhelming sense of being loved”. During the six-hour trip which was guided by an expertly-curated playlist, Phillips was able to connect with his father and son who both passed away, and saw himself as an embryo. Phillips said that experiencing psilocybin gave him an understanding of how to respond effectively when patients undergo the treatment. He believes that the treatment is effective because it “opens up the connectivity power of the brain” so that the brain can solve its own problems. Although the experience was overwhelming, he believes that there are no bad trips, only challenging ones.

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New York bill would create a psychedelics research institute to study psilocybin treatment for substance use disorder and depression.

New York Bill Would Create State-Sponsored Psychedelics Research Institute

A new bill proposed in New York would create a psychedelic research institute to study the effect of psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, and ibogaine on conditions including addictive disorders, depression, PTSD, and end-of-life anxiety. The bill is sponsored by Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal (D), who believes that “psychedelics provide a host of benefits without the same risk of overdose or dependency that other medications may provide”. The legislature suggests that “psilocybin is a breakthrough therapy for severe depression and nicotine addiction” and may also provide treatment for methamphetamine or opioid addiction.

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Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary says investing in psychedelics has far more potential than cannabis

7 Investment Tips from Kevin O’Leary, Who Says There’s More Money In Psychedelics Than There Is In Cannabis

At a CNBC healthcare summit, Shark Tank venture capitalist Kevin O’Leary said that “the potential of psychedelics far exceeds the potential of cannabis”. O’Leary believes that the size and scale of the psychedelics market is appealing because of the lack of advancements in mental health treatment over the past several decades. O’Leary currently invests in MindMed and Compass Pathways, and advises investors to hold stakes in companies with multiple clinical trials.

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Psychiatry professor believes that psilocybin has potential to reset the behaviours and cognitions of those with eating disorders by changing neural pathways.

Magic mushrooms’ for eating disorders? Drug company running trials at B.C. university

Dr. C. Laird Birmingham, Psychiatry professor with expertise in eating disorders, believes that psilocybin has potential to reset the behaviours and cognitions of those with eating disorders by changing neural pathways. NeonMind Biosciences Inc. is working with Dr. Birmingham at the University of British Columbia in preclinical trials to determine if psilocybin could be used to change the unconscious response to emotional situations that can trigger food-related addictions.

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Psilocybin-assisted therapy 4 times more effective than antidepressants

Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy produces large, rapid, and sustained antidepressant effects

A clinical trial showed psilocybin-assisted therapy was 4 times more effective at treating major depressive disorder than antidepressant drugs. 27 participants with a long-term history of depression received 11 hours of therapy in addition to two full-day psilocybin-assisted therapy sessions, two weeks apart. Patients received the doses of psilocybin while lying on a couch with eyeshades and listening to music through headphones, and clinical monitors provided guidance and support throughout the experience. Four weeks after the treatment, 71% of participants saw at least a 50% reduction in depression scores, and 54% of participants were in remission from depression.

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