Canadian health authorities recently approved the use of psilocybin in four palliative care patients. This is the first time that people will be able to consume this mind-altering substance legally in the country since it was banned more than forty-five years ago.
Hallucinogenic (or "magic") mushrooms are prohibited for sale and consumption in most countries of the world. However, Canada is no exception, except in the context of special authorizations for clinical or research purposes. Although mainly known for their recreational use, hallucinogenic mushrooms could also be used in the field of health.
TheraPsil is a Canadian non-profit association. It advocates lawful access therapy with psilocybin, the psychoactive substance in hallucinogenic mushrooms. As it explains in a press release published on August 4, 2020, this association supported the requests of four patients with incurable cancer today in palliative care.
However, after a hundred days of waiting, the Minister of Health Patty Hajdu gave her consent. The four patients will therefore receive treatment with psilocybin to relieve their distress . This is the first exception to Canadian law since this substance became illegal in the country in 1974.
“I would like to thank the Minister of Health and Health Canada for approving my request to use psilocybin. Recognition of the pain and anxiety I am suffering means a lot to me, and I feel very emotional today as a result. I hope this is just the beginning and that soon all Canadians will be able to access psilocybin for therapeutic purposes to relieve the pain they are experiencing without having to petition the government for months for permission." /em> said Laurie Brooks, a patient living in British Columbia who is an elected official.
These first patients and the TheraPsil association therefore thank the health authorities for this step forward. However, this could open the door to a democratization of the treatment of distress end-of-life patients. Recall that in 2011, researchers from the University of California at Los Angeles conducted a first pilot study. It was about the use of psilocybin in palliative care. This research involving twelve patients proved that psilocybin could replace conventional treatments designed to reduce the distress and despair of terminal cancer patients. However, this study published in the journal Arch Gen Psychiatry recommended careful and controlled use.
