Can psychedelic substances be useful in the treatment of mental health issues?
It appears likely that the medicinal uses of drugs like psilocybin and MDMA will be available for the general public to sample sometime in the next two years, and the federal government appears poised to more thoroughly study the value of such drugs in the treatment of the brain.
Earlier this year, letters were sent from myriad sources – state and congressional lawmakers from both sides of the aisle as well as military veterans – to the head of the Department of Health and Human Services. Those letters were requests that the HHS create an “interagency taskforce on the proper use and deployment of psychedelic medicine and therapy.”
A psychedelic task force.
Now the agency is “exploring” the creation of just such a team ahead of the anticipated approvals of the Food and Drug Administration for the usage of such substances in mental health treatment.
Letters from Congressional members cited National Institute on Drug Abuse Director Nora Volkow’s comment at a psychedelics workshop hosted jointly by the National Institute of Mental Health that “the train has left the station” when it comes to psychedelic drug exploration.
Volkow also referred to the research on psychedelics as “an incredible opportunity to also modify the way that we are doing things.”
“Given the mental health and substance abuse crises exacerbated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we believe it is critical to ensure our nation’s healthcare system has all the tools at its disposal to combat these crises effectively,” the letter from Congress continued. “It is apparent that the psychedelics medicines represent not just a new wave of psychiatry, but a significant shift in the delivery of mental health care, which does not neatly fit within our current system.”
Meanwhile, state lawmakers from Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas co-signed a companion letter alongside military veterans’ advocates echoing those sentiments.
“We understand that the strategic task force would lead a public-private partnership with various groups of stakeholders, including relevant state agencies, to address the myriad complex regulatory and public policy issues necessary to ensure a framework for the safe and responsible use of psychedelic therapies for mental health care,” that letter reads.
