The Australian government has rescheduled the psychedelics psilocybin and MDMA to provide access to people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and treat-resistant depression.
The substances aren’t being legalized for broad use, but by placing them in Schedule 8 for therapeutic use under the country’s drug code, psychiatrists who meet the required standards will be able to prescribe the psychedelics. The drugs will remain in the stricter Schedule 9 for unauthorized use.
“The decision acknowledges the current lack of options for patients with specific treatment-resistant mental illnesses,” Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) said in a notice on Friday, reports Marijuana Moment.
The new rules mean that psilocybin and MDMA can be used therapeutically in a controlled medical setting starting on July 1, according to TGA. However, patients may be vulnerable during psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, requiring controls to protect these patients.
The decision follows applications made to the TGA to reclassify the substances in the Poisons Standard, extensive public consultation, a report from an expert panel, and advice received from the Advisory Committee on Medicines Scheduling.
There are currently no approved products containing psilocybin or MDMA that the TGA has evaluated for quality, safety and efficacy. However, this amendment will allow authorized psychiatrists to access and legally supply a specified “unapproved medicine containing these substances to patients under their care for these specific uses.”