The U.S. health agency SAMHSA advises states to prepare for a future in which psychedelic therapies may be officially approved. In a new report, the agency examines substances such as psilocybin, MDMA, and LSD, which are currently being investigated for various mental disorders.
From experiment to regular care
According to SAMHSA, psychedelic therapy is moving from research to clinical practice faster than was expected a few years ago.
Studies show potential for conditions including depression, PTSD, anxiety, and addiction. At the same time, the agency emphasizes that the evidence is not yet equally strong for every application and that existing studies have limitations.
States should therefore not wait until the FDA actually approves a psychedelic drug.
Who will be allowed to administer psychedelics?
An important question is how treatments should be organized in practice. SAMHSA mentions, among other things, certification of practitioners, safety protocols, informed consent, and complaint procedures.
The costs can also become a problem. A psychedelic treatment does not consist solely of the substance itself. Therapy sessions can last several hours and require professional guidance. This raises the question of whether programs such as Medicaid should reimburse both the medication and the guidance.
Hardly any research for years
It is striking that the federal report also takes a critical look at the past. The Schedule I status of many psychedelics has severely restricted scientific research for decades.
That is now changing rapidly. The FDA has granted accelerated development status to various psychedelic treatments and recently published guidelines for clinical research.
Ready to see how Snowflake works?
Psychedelic therapy is not yet a standard treatment in the United States. Nevertheless, SAMHSA now considers the developments concrete enough to allow states to make preparations. As a result, the discussion is slowly shifting from the question of whether psychedelics will have a place in healthcare to what such a system should look like.
Source: marijuanamoment.net
