Close Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Lifestyle
  • Law
  • Business
  • Education

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

What's Hot

California Governor Touts Results of Intoxicating Hemp Ban

May 9, 2025

California Governor Touts Results of Intoxicating Hemp Ban

May 9, 2025

Pennsylvania House Passes Cannabis Legalization Bill

May 8, 2025
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Saturday, May 10
  • Home
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram LinkedIn VKontakte
Smoke Professional
  • Home
  • News

    More Than 1,000 Arrested in Sweep of U.K. Weed Grows

    July 8, 2023

    Scotland Calls On UK To End ‘Failed’ Drug War With Decriminalization And Harm Reduction Approach

    July 8, 2023

    Germany’s draft law for first phase of cannabis reform

    July 8, 2023

    High Times Cannabis Cup Illinois: People’s Choice Edition 2023 Kicks Off

    July 8, 2023

    Pennsylvania Committee Advances Expansion to State Medical Cannabis Program

    July 7, 2023
  • Lifestyle

    How Watching the News Can Trigger Anxiety and Panic Attacks

    October 28, 2024

    Record High Cannabis and Hallucinogen Use Among Adults

    October 27, 2024

    Weekend Sleep Catch-Up May Lower Heart Disease Risk by 20%

    October 27, 2024

    Energy Drinks Linked to Poor Sleep Quality and Insomnia

    October 26, 2024

    First Psychedelic Church for Magic Mushrooms

    October 26, 2024
  • Law

    Pennsylvania House Passes Cannabis Legalization Bill

    May 8, 2025

    Nebraska Lawmakers to Reconsider Bill to Implement Voter-Approved Medical Cannabis Law

    May 7, 2025

    Bill to Legalize Adult-Use Cannabis Filed in Pennsylvania

    May 6, 2025

    New Hampshire Senate Blocks Adult-Use Cannabis Legalization Bill

    May 2, 2025

    Cannabis Taxation: C Corp, S Corp, LLC, LLP, Partnership, Nonprofit, or Something Else for Your Cannabis Business?

    April 30, 2025
  • Business

    California Governor Touts Results of Intoxicating Hemp Ban

    May 9, 2025

    California Governor Touts Results of Intoxicating Hemp Ban

    May 9, 2025

    Cannabis Company CEO Considering New Mexico Gubernatorial Bid

    May 8, 2025

    U.S. Supreme Court Declines to Hear Challenge to Medical Cannabis Advertising Ban

    May 8, 2025

    Minnesota Cannabis Licensing Lotteries Scheduled for June 5

    May 7, 2025
  • Education

    CBD and the Aging Population—What Science Says Today

    March 12, 2025

    Wholesale Nootropic Skincare: Boost Your Product Line

    March 10, 2025

    Ideal for Your Business Needs

    March 8, 2025

    A Must-have For Every Smoke Shop

    March 3, 2025

    The Perfect Addition to Your Product Line

    March 1, 2025
Smoke Professional
You are at:Home»News»Australia Becomes First Country to Authorize Psilocybin, MDMA Therapy
News

Australia Becomes First Country to Authorize Psilocybin, MDMA Therapy

adminBy adminJuly 7, 2023No Comments4 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

The Land Down Under made a historic move over the weekend, though some experts are cautious as to how exactly the major change will fully pan out.

Australia became the first country in the world to authorize psilocybin and MDMA use through a doctor’s prescription to treat psychiatric conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Beginning Saturday, July 1, both drugs were authorized for therapeutic use after regulators approved the up-and-coming treatment option earlier this year.

Australia Makes Psychedelic History

Australia’s drug regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), approved the move back in February and indicated that the change wasn’t made lightly. Rather, it came after a nearly three-year decision-making process, including extensive consultation with a number of experts on the topic. MDMA, also known as ecstasy or molly, was approved as a treatment for PTSD, while psilocybin, the psychoactive substance in psychedelic mushrooms, was approved for treatment-resistant depression.

Both drugs will be down-scheduled from Australia’s strictest category, schedule 9 donating “prohibited substances,” to schedule 8, or controlled drugs, but solely for medical use in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.

While cities and states in the United States have gradually eased restrictions on psychedelics to similarly usher in a new era of therapeutic care, Australia is the first country in the world to down-schedule psilocybin and MDMA for clinical treatments. The country will now allow these substances to be adopted as part of therapy sessions under the guidance of a qualified and authorized practitioner. 

Mounting Evidence on the Potential of Psychedelic Treatments

While psychedelic drugs like psilocybin and MDMA have been long criminalized, research has opened the doors to a potentially game-changing alternative for mental health treatment, especially for conditions that cannot be treated with traditional methods.

Among myriad other studies on the topic, one 2022 study involving the largest randomized, controlled, double-blind study of psilocybin to date showed “significant” improvements to treatment-resistant depression among participants. The study involved two doses, 1 mg and 25 mg of psilocybin, and found that those who received a 25 mg dose with psychological support experienced a “highly statistically significant reduction in symptoms of depression after three weeks.”

Similarly, researchers have heavily examined MDMA as a potential treatment for PTSD as the ongoing psychedelic renaissance unfolds. The results of one clinical trial from earlier this year “support the development of MDMA-assisted therapy as a potentially new breakthrough therapy to treat individuals with PTSD—a patient population that is often left to suffer for years,” according to Amy Emerson, chief executive officer of MAPS Public Benefit Corporation which conducted the study.

These studies are just two of many in the growing psychedelic medicine field, though more research is still needed to fully unravel the potential of drugs like MDMA and psilocybin. And some Australian experts have expressed concern about the recent move.

Concerns and Hopes for the Future of Mental Health

For one, these are psychedelic drugs, so using them carries the risk of having a bad trip. Susan Rossell is a psychiatrist at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne and is working on Australia’s only active clinical trial to test psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for treatment-resistant depression. Rossell indicated that one of the gaps research has yet to close is determining what type of patient is best suited to the treatment.

“It’s not for everybody. We need to work out who these people are that are going to have bad experiences, and not recommend it,” Rossell told Nature, adding that she fears, should the drug be improperly administered, treatment could result in bad trips and leave patients with more psychological issues than they came in with.

In a broader sense, it’s clear that the shift around psychedelic medicine is moving much more quickly than cannabis did prior, as a similarly criminalized drug that is now undergoing major reform. Beyond Australia, some leaders and experts have similarly questioned whether things are moving too quickly.

Others have indicated Australia’s move sets a major milestone for psychedelic-assisted therapies. Payton Nyquest, co-founder and CEO of psychedelic-focused mental healthcare company Numinus, praised regulators for making the bold move.

“The TGA’s approval surrounding MDMA and psilocybin for specific and controlled usage is a welcome step forward for Australia as well as the entire mental health field,” Nyquvest wrote in an email to Forbes. “This decision impacts the millions of people who are enduring treatment-resistant mental health conditions and opens a pathway to profoundly change their lives. I look forward to watching progress being made on a global scale as a result of our industry’s collective mission to help the world heal.”

Source link

Australia Authorize Country MDMA Psilocybin Therapy
Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
Previous ArticleOhio Cannabis Advocates Say They Have Enough Signatures to Put the Issue to Voters
Next Article Top German Officials Unveil Draft Marijuana Legalization Bill
admin
  • Website

Related Posts

Canadian Police Seize 120,000+ Cannabis and Psilocybin Products Resembling Name-Brand Products

October 31, 2024

Cannabis Cultivation in Australia – Canna Law Blog™

August 7, 2024

Arizona Governor Approves Bill To Allow Workers’ Compensation for MDMA Treatment

June 25, 2024

Comments are closed.

Our Picks

California Governor Touts Results of Intoxicating Hemp Ban

May 9, 2025

California Governor Touts Results of Intoxicating Hemp Ban

May 9, 2025

Pennsylvania House Passes Cannabis Legalization Bill

May 8, 2025

Cannabis Company CEO Considering New Mexico Gubernatorial Bid

May 8, 2025
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Vimeo
Don't Miss
Business

California Governor Touts Results of Intoxicating Hemp Ban

By adminMay 9, 20250

The Office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced on Thursday that the state’s ban…

California Governor Touts Results of Intoxicating Hemp Ban

May 9, 2025

Pennsylvania House Passes Cannabis Legalization Bill

May 8, 2025

Cannabis Company CEO Considering New Mexico Gubernatorial Bid

May 8, 2025

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest creative news from Smoke Unlimited about Weed & CBD vaping.

From Our Partners
About Us
About Us

Get all the current news stories, latest trends and legislation regarding cannabidiol, products, usages and its benefits. So don’t miss out any buzz and stay tuned! We offer a minute to minute updates regarding Marijuana industry.

Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
Our Picks

California Governor Touts Results of Intoxicating Hemp Ban

May 9, 2025

California Governor Touts Results of Intoxicating Hemp Ban

May 9, 2025

Pennsylvania House Passes Cannabis Legalization Bill

May 8, 2025
Sponsors
Copyright © 2025. SmokeProfessional
  • Home
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.