A health advocacy group is pushing for MDMA to be made legal to help treat mental health patients.
Mind Medicine Australia has asked the Therapeutic Goods Administration for the drug to be more easily used in clinical therapies.
The drug has been used as a treatment for those battling post-traumatic stress disorder and depression overseas.
The medicines regulator is now seeking feedback on the proposal, however, the college of psychiatrists has already warned the proposal is high risk.
Mind Medicine Australia is pushing for MDMA to be made legal to help treat mental health patients
Psychedelic-assisted therapy involves limited doses of MDMA over three sessions, with each session lasting eight to 10 hours.
Mind Medicine Australia executive director Tania de Jong said a huge amount of people were on anti-depressants that were not working.
She said psychotherapy can produce long-lasting changes in patients.
‘We just don’t have the treatments to help people get better. Most illnesses don’t have to be a life sentence.’
Psilocybin, commonly known as magic mushrooms, and MDMA is being used in drug trial at Melbourne’s St Vincent’s Hospital terminally ill patients with anxiety and depression.
The trial, which started in February, has seen 40 patients receive psilocybin alongside clinical support.
President of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, John Allan, said the move to have it legalised was ‘premature’ as the ‘safety and efficacy had not been proven yet’.
Mind Medicine Australia executive director Tania de Jong said a huge amount of people were on anti-depressants that were not working. She said psychotherapy can produce long-lasting changes in patients
He said he would be concerned the move would add to the underground market for MDMA and psilocybin therapies as people might see it as a ‘grand cure’.
‘Psychedelics have been around for some time. There’s only more recently some promising research evidence, but it’s too early to say they should be listed for general use,’ he said
‘It’s just not proven yet, there just haven’t been enough studies … The streets of medicine, and psychiatry in particular, are littered with great ideas that went wrong.’
Submissions close on September 28, an interim decision is due in February.
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Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 or beyondblue.org.au
Source: Daily Mail
