Tory and Labour MP team up to fight for psilocybin rescheduling and further research

A Conservative and a Labour MP have written a joint letter to all MPs urging the rescheduling of psilocybin and other psychedelics in the UK. The move comes after the two MPs addressed the issue in Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs). Crispin Blunt, the Chair of the Conservative Drug Policy Reform Group (CDPRG), and Labour MP […]
Psychedelic drug use is only weakly associated with psychosis-like symptoms

Researchers have found that people who develop psychosis-like symptoms are more likely to experience other mental health problems, and are more likely to use psychoactive substances. The study Psychedelic drug use and schizotypy in young adults, published in Scientific Reports, concluded that while schizotypy scores were higher in people who use psychedelics, the effect size was […]
Psychedelic therapy could be effective in reducing suicidality

Psychedelic therapy was found to have a positive effect on suicidality as people with severe mental health issues require new methods and treatment. Having collected data from seven different trials, the authors of the study published in The Journal of Psychiatry found that psychedelic therapy was associated with large effect sizes for acute (80–240 min) and […]
The Psychedelics Series: The history and future of ketamine

Ketamine was first synthesised in 1962 as researchers looked for an alternative to phencyclidine – more commonly known as PCP or ‘angel dust’. Since then, it has been used by millions around the world for both medical and recreational purposes – but what actually is it? Following early research into ketamine, the drug became known […]
How 2021 became the year of psychedelics – and why 2022 is set to be even bigger

It’s no secret that psychedelics are on the comeback trail, with a record number of trials and total investment in the hundreds of millions of dollars in 2021 alone. This interest – from the public, investors, and researchers alike – has made 2021 the biggest year for psychedelics research to date – and 2022 is […]
Canada effectively legalises psychedelics for medical use

In a groundbreaking move, Canada will soon allow the use of psychedelics as a possible treatment for a wide range of health conditions, the Health Department announced. While psychedelics have been used under an exemption granted by Health Canada, which is the department of the Government of Canada responsible for national health policy, for a while, […]
Australian government to fund research into alternative therapies for mental health conditions

The Australian government has announced that it will be handing out $15 million to fund seven clinical trials assessing how alternative drugs could be useful in treating mental health conditions. An estimated four million people experience some form of mental health condition in Australia every year. To address this, researches are on the lookout for […]
Another blow to the psychedelic industry’s attempts to use LSD for therapeutic purposes

The plans to test LSD in anxiety patients in a clinical study have been stopped in their tracks as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has halted the process for unclear reasons. According to Reuters, the US FDA has put a clinical hold on Mind Medicine Inc’s application to start testing psychedelic drugs, such […]
Psychedelic substance Ibogaine to be tested for potential as an addiction treatment

It is estimated that around 100,000 people die from drug overdoses in the US every year. The majority of these deaths are related to the use of both prescribed and illicit fentanyl – a powerful opioid that is used as a painkiller. The deadly opioid epidemic of North America has left researchers and lawmakers urgently […]
Study on how ‘magic mushrooms’ affect frontline healthcare workers given green light

A study that will examine how psychedelics, combined with psychotherapy, could affect the mental health of frontline workers, starts soon, making it one of the first studies of its kind. According to a report in MedPage Today, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US has given the green light for the randomised trial. […]