Psychedelics were featured at SXSW 2022. [Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons]
Decades after compounds like LSD and psilocybin were made illegal , psychedelic medicine appears poised to go mainstream in the coming years, potentially treating conditions ranging from anxiety to PTSD.In the interim, however, hurdles remain.
The American Psychiatry Association (APA) recently released a conservative position statement on psychedelics and empathogens such as MDMA. In essence, the organization concluded that psychedelic medicine remains at the clinical stage. At present, there is “inadequate scientific evidence for endorsing the use of psychedelics to treat any psychiatric disorder except within the context of approved investigational studies,” APA noted.
While the APA said it supports rigorous clinical research into the compounds, “clinical treatments should be determined by scientific…