Australia rejects psychedelics for therapeutic purposes

The Australian medical regulator on Wednesday turned down an offer to approve psychedelics for therapeutic use, saying the risks of the drugs outweigh the potential mental health benefits. In a final decision by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), the agency declined to approve an application to change Australian poison standards by reclassifying psilocybin and MDMA as List 8 controlled substances instead of their current List 9 prohibited substances.

According to the decision, psychedelic drugs will not be available as therapeutic drugs to treat severe mental illness, a practice accepted by many therapists. Studies have shown the drugs have the potential to treat depression, anxiety, and addiction.

However, the TGA noted that much of the research to date has been conducted in tightly controlled settings, potentially limiting the practical therapeutic value of psychedelics. The agency also cited concerns that legalizing the drugs for therapeutic purposes would lead to misuse of the drugs in non-clinical applications.

“The benefit is very limited, as psilocybin studies may only suggest potential therapeutic value when the treatment has been made available to subjects as part of a clinical trial,” the TGA wrote in its final Dec. 15 decision.

In terms of risks, I am convinced that psilocybin poses a high risk for both acute and long-term effects if it is misused or misused to gain access outside of strictly controlled medical and scientific research environments, “wrote the author of the decision the agency . “Given this increased risk of acute and long-term effects for individuals, a high level of control over the entire supply chain as outlined in Appendix 9 is warranted.”

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists did not support the psilocybin and MDMA reclassification request, the TGA said. The Australian Medical Association also stepped in, calling for more research with larger, high-quality studies to determine the safety and effectiveness of the drugs’ therapeutic use.

Decision a ‘step backwards’ for Australia

Dr. John Huber, founder and CEO of the psychedelic therapy advisory platform Tripsitter Clinic, says that “Australia’s decision to turn down the use of MDMA and psilocybin mushrooms for clinical use is a step backwards.”

“The explanation that there is insufficient research limits Australia’s ability to explore the benefits of psychedelic therapy,” Huber wrote in an email to the High Times. “This way of thinking suppresses progress and portrays the ideologies of the 1960s. The pandemic has had a major impact on people’s mental health and political leaders need to update themselves and expand access to mental health services during this time of need. “

The CEO of Hawaii-based psychedelic drug startup Ei.Ventures, David Nikzad, noted that the TGA’s decision is inconsistent with recent psychedelic reform efforts. Canada has taken steps to make psilocybin available to therapists for clinical use, and the legality of magic mushrooms in Jamaica has led to the rise of psychedelic retreats in the Caribbean nation.

In addition, Oregon has legalized psilocybin for supervised mental health treatment, and several U.S. communities including Oregon, Detroit, Seattle, Oakland, and Denver have adopted measures to decriminalize some psychedelic drugs and entheogenic plants and mushrooms.

“We find this very disappointing, and it goes against the larger trend for psychedelics to be decriminalized or approved for medical use in numerous jurisdictions around the world,” said Nikzad. “We hope Australia gets on track once the ongoing studies add further credibility to previous work showing the effectiveness of psilocybin use for positive mental health outcomes in clinical settings.”

“It really is a shame that this outdated thinking is stifling progress in the important field of psychedelics and mental health when these natural products could help so many people with depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems,” he added.