The psychedelic renaissance is here. From brain euphoria to treatment, psychedelic trips are transforming mental health. There is a significant array of evidence showing that psychedelics can help alleviate symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD and even substance abuse. All good, right? Not quite. The real challenge lies in the red tape—psychedelics are still stuck under the stranglehold of Schedule 1 classification, blocking their full potential.
The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated the mental health crisis in the United Kingdom, leaving many still struggling to recover. Existing forms of treatment, namely SSRIs and anti-depressants are only useful for around 30% of people. These treatments provide limited, short-term relief—ineffective at best for many, and counterproductive at worst, with risks of dependency.
The classification of psychedelics as a Schedule 1 drug has stifled progress, yet recent studies have shown great promise. A study in 2017 found that patients who have treatment-resistant depression reported that a single psilocybin ‘trip’ treatment significantly decreased depression symptoms for up to six months after two doses of psilocybin. The largest and most recent double-blind study showed that a single 25 mg dose of synthetic psilocybin administered in conjunction with psychotherapy led to significantly lower levels of depressive symptoms after 3 weeks compared to the control dose. The effect of psilocybin treatments is observable almost immediately, whereas the effects of depressants and SSRI’s take weeks or even months.
PTSD is an even tougher battle, with standard treatments falling flat. However, a ‘Nature Medicine’ study found that MDMA given in conjunction with therapy dramatically reduced PTSD symptoms, especially for those who were also likely to suffer from depression and substance abuse. Therefore, it is vital that additional studies are conducted to test the impact of MDMA for PTSD patients with those comorbidities. The results are too promising to ignore – psychedelics are a game changer.
As for the sceptics, their doubts are not backed up by the evidence. The study from ‘Nature Medicine’ found no evidence that MDMA treatment brought suicidal thoughts to the participants. A study from the British Association for Psychopharmacology found that sceptical views about psychedelic treatments are not supported by scientific evidence “with the majority of reported adverse effects not being observed in a regulated and/or medical context”.
Psychedelic progress is being strangled by financial and bureaucratic red tape, namely the cost of licensing. This costs around £3000, and the Home Office can take up to a year to approve this licence. In comparison, drugs with Schedule 2 have less stringent controls. When it comes to clinical trials, this requires a further licence and therefore more in-depth research is limited to top educational institutions and pharmaceutical companies. These ridiculous barriers deter researchers from attempting to conduct research into this area. Combine this with the stigma of Schedule 1 classification, and it is no surprise that philanthropists are less likely to fund this research. Either we reclassify or we deny ourselves the key to unlocking mental health breakthroughs.
Schedule 1 classification is reserved for substances with no medical value, yet psychedelics—proven to offer therapeutic benefits—remain in this classification, while more harmful drugs such as fentanyl and ketamine are classified as Schedule 2. The classification of psychedelics as Schedule 1 is utterly unjustifiable and a complete disregard for science.
Globally, countries including the USA, Australia and the Netherlands have legalised psychedelic treatments and are already reaping the rewards. Currently, UK veterans travel to the Netherlands to receive this form of treatment to help deal with their PTSD. The alternative? Buy them illegally at greater risk to their health.
The snail-like pace of the UK’s progress in this area is inexplicable given the patient benefit potential, especially for people who do not respond to current treatment approaches. Only by eliminating these barriers to research can we unlock the true potential of psychedelics.