Dr John R. Kelly writes how easing regulatory constraints would facilitate the advance of the scientific evidence underpinning psychedelics and psychedelic therapy
Psychedelic therapies are emerging as promising treatments for various mental health conditions, such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and substance-use disorders.Psychedelic research in Ireland is contributing to the global effort to gather high-quality scientific evidence to determine the therapeutic effectiveness of such therapy.
The recently formed Trinity College Dublin and Tallaght University Hospital Psychedelic Research Group (TTPRG) is working with several industry partners to conduct large-scale clinical trials of psychedelic therapy for people who suffer from treatment-resistant depression, PTSD and anorexia nervosa. Some of these clinical trials are also taking place in Galway.
TTPRG has also received public funding from the Health Research Board (HRB) to investigate how psychedelics may affect the immune system in depression, and separately, to explore the feasibility of psilocybin therapy as a potential treatment for cocaine-use disorder. The HRB has also funded research into ketamine as an adjunctive therapy for depression (KARMA-DEP (2) Trial), currently taking place in St Patrick’s University Hospital in Dublin.
If this trajectory continues, Ireland is on course to be a vibrant ecosystem of education, training and innovation in psychedelic research. This growing and diverse inter- and cross-disciplinary collaborative research community in Ireland may also create opportunities for linking with international networks.
However, in Ireland, as in many parts of the world, the use of psychedelics for therapeutic purposes remains highly restricted, controlled by outdated regulatory frameworks. This can act as a barrier to the advance of high-quality scientific research into the potential therapeutic benefits of psychedelics. It is now time to re-appraise Ireland’s regulatory landscape.
One of the concerns surrounding psychedelic use is the potential for negative/challenging experiences.
At present, Ireland’s policy on psychedelic drugs is shaped largely by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977, which classifies psychedelics, including psilocybin, LSD and MDMA, as Schedule 1 substances. This classification is reserved for drugs that are considered to have no medicinal value and a high potential for abuse. Consequently, the possession, distribution or use of psychedelics for any purpose is illegal, with serious […]
The case for broader accessibility to psychedelic therapies for mental disorders in Ireland
