The Development and Regulation of Psychedelic Medicines

Psychedelic research into mental disorders is currently re-emerging after a near 40-year morass and appears to offer a new paradigm of treatment for civilians and veterans suffering from mental disorder and/or addiction.
\nThe paper introduces the recent rebirth of psychedelic research at a small number of US and European universities such as Johns Hopkins, New Mexico, Zurich, UCLA, NYU, Imperial College London as well as at non-academic bodies with research into substances such as MDMA, psilocybin, LSD, THC and CBD in marijuana, ketamine, DMT (found in ayahuasca) and ibogaine. The legal impediments to psychedelic research and regulation are discussed including international drug conventions, drug scheduling, medicine regulation and the patent system. The paper considers the controversial nature of the research and its implications which could drive significant medical change through new forms of treatment for mental disorder and addiction.