Starting Saturday, Australian doctors can prescribe doses of MDMA, also known as ecstasy, for post-traumatic stress disorder. Psilocybin, the psychoactive ingredient in hallucinogenic mushrooms, can be given to people who have difficult-to-treat depression. The country placed the two substances on the list of approved drugs by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
Scientists in Australia were shocked by the measure, which was announced in February but took effect on July 1. One scientist said this puts Australia “at the forefront of research in this field.”
The growing cultural acceptance of hallucinogens has prompted other jurisdictions to pass measures to allow their use as well.
In the United States, Oregon was the first state to legalize psilocybin use in adults, and Colorado decriminalized psilocybin in 2022. Days ago, President Joe Biden’s younger brother said in a radio interview that the president has been “very open about mind” in conversations the two have had about the benefits of psychedelics as a form of medical treatment.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designated psilocybin as a “breakthrough therapy” in 2018, a label that is designed to speed the development and review of substances to treat a serious condition. Last month, the FDA released preliminary guidance for the design of clinical trials involving psychedelic drugs as potential treatments for medical conditions.
Still, the American Psychiatric Association has not endorsed the use of hallucinogens in treatment, noting that the FDA has yet to make a final determination.
Medical experts in the United States and other countries, including Australia, have warned that more research is needed into the efficacy of the drugs and the extent of the risks of hallucinogenic substances.
“There are concerns that testing remains inadequate and that the transition to clinical service is premature; that incompetent or ill-equipped doctors could flood the space; that treatment is unaffordable for the majority; that formal oversight of patient education, treatment and outcomes is minimal or poorly reported,” said Dr Paul Liknaitzky, Director of the Clinical Psychedelic Laboratory at Monash University.
The drugs will be expensive in Australia – about A$10,000 (US$6,600) per patient for treatment.
FUENTE: Associated Press
