In a world first, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has signed off on the use of MDMA and Psilocybin (the chemical compound present in magic mushrooms) for medicinal purposes in Australia. We simply love to see it.
Starting on July 1, it will be legal for authorised practitioners to prescribe MDMA to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) per the ABC.
The new regulations will also allow people suffering from treatment-resistant depression to be prescribed psilocybin.
Australia has now become the first country in the world where psychedelics are officially recognised as medicines.
“Prescribing will be limited to psychiatrists, given their specialised qualifications and expertise to diagnose and treat patients with serious mental health conditions,” said a statement from the TGA.
Experts in the field were pleasantly surprised by the announcement, considering Australia’s previously staunch opposition to changing its laws on drug usage for both recreational and medicinal purposes.
“It was unexpected given that Australia is such a conservative country,” said the director of the Psychedelic Research in Science and Medicine charity, Stephen Bright to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Despite the good news, Bright also flagged possible supply and certification issues when the regulatory changes become law in July.
“The details so far from the TGA are thin,” he warned.
“There are no products available, and aside from myself and a handful of colleagues, there’s no one trained to provide the treatment.
“We’re waiting for a bit more information, to get an idea of what this looks like in practice.”
It’s not often that Australia surprises you with a positive drug reform announcement, but credit where credit’s due.
The move is expected to be a game-changer for Aussies who haven’t found success being treated with traditional remedies.
If you’re keen to learn more about the TGA and what reforms they’re working on, suss out our full coverage here.
It might sound super boring from the outset, but the TGA deals with all sorts of juicy things like drugs, influencer marketing and even condoms.
Who knew a government regulatory body could be sorta interesting?
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