New Zealand allows medical use of psychedelic mushrooms to treat depression - AFP
Kyiv • UNN
New Zealand authorities have allowed the use of psilocybin to treat therapy-resistant depression. Only experienced psychiatrists will be able to prescribe the drug under strict rules.
On Wednesday, June 18, New Zealand officially approved the use of psilocybin - a psychedelic substance from the so-called "magic mushrooms" for medical treatment of depression that does not respond to traditional therapy. Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour stressed that only experienced psychiatrists who have participated in clinical trials will be entitled to prescribe this drug, subject to strict control rules. This is reported by UNN with reference to AFP.
Details
On Wednesday, New Zealand approved the medical use of psilocybin, a hallucinogenic compound found, in particular, in the so-called "magic mushrooms
Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour said that "the rules have been relaxed so that psilocybin can be used to treat certain types of depression".
Psilocybin remains an unapproved drug, but an experienced psychiatrist has been given the right to prescribe it to patients with treatment-resistant depression
This is extremely important for people with depression who have tried everything else and are still suffering. If a doctor believes that psilocybin can help, he should have the tools to try
It is noted that there will be strict rules regarding the prescription of the drug. Only psychiatrists who have participated in clinical trials will be able to prescribe psilocybin, and they must strictly report its use and keep detailed records.
Addition
Psilocybin is a natural psychedelic compound found in some types of mushrooms and can cause hallucinations and altered states of consciousness.
Party drugs like MDMA and hallucinogenic mushrooms are increasingly being used in mainstream medical settings to help treat post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
Earlier, UNN wrote that in 2023, Australia became the first country in the world to legalize the use of psychedelics to treat certain mental disorders.
Local psychiatrists can prescribe MDMA, i.e. "ecstasy" to those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as "magic" mushrooms to treat certain types of depression.
