End the war on psychedelics

As Canadians head to the polls this September we are searching for leaders who will help us come through this long pandemic. Lots of issues are competing for election promises—a need to fix the economy, improve vaccine uptake, open or close the borders, keep kids safely in schools—and rising to the top of the list are concerns about mental health. Recently, Conservative leader Erin O’Toole declared that his party is eager to support all Canadians, including those from the LGBT community interested in consuming "poppers". To even gesture towards the idea of relaxing the prohibition on illegal drugs is a historical game changer. In the 1970s the U.S. declared a war on drugs, drawing a sharp line between legal and illegal drugs. Psychedelics, cannabis, speed—these drugs were on the wrong side of the line and people consuming them faced jail time. Psychiatric drugs, like anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications, meanwhile, made record profits during this same period and became the standard treatment for mental illnesses. That approach is beginning to change. The pandemic has contributed to unprecedented rises in the rates of people suffering from feelings of isolation, disinterest, exhaustion, and anxiety—features that are often associated with mental illness. This has left many Canadians searching for alternatives to prescription medication. Perhaps it is also a recognition that pills that suppress our feelings are not the answers we need at this moment. We need courageous leadership and new ways of thinking about mental health. Ronan Levy is the co-founder and executive chairman of Field Trip Psychedelics Inc. Photograph courtesy of Ronan Levy Canada made headlines when the Trudeau government legalized cannabis in 2018, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. Psychedelics are gaining momentum as another category of medicines that deserve to be reconsidered in what now appears to be an outdated war on drugs. Some psychedelics, including psilocybin mushrooms and MDMA (popularly called ecstasy) have been called "breakthrough" therapies by American regulators. Jagmeet Singh has promised to introduce a pharmacare program, and we hope will also confront the larger questions about which drugs make the cut. Health Canada has begun granting exemptions for psilocybin use for treatment-resistant illnesses, namely end-of-life anxiety. It is a sign that our government knows that the ban on psilocybin was an ill-informed decision of the past, and it is time to align our drug policies with scientific research. As our legislators strive to offer Canadians more compassion, dignity, and freedom to manage their end-of-life decisions, our next government also has a golden opportunity to embrace the luxury of modern science and usher in a new era of safe, accessible, proven comfort for palliative Canadians and those suffering with treatment-resistant mental health disorders. Of course, palliative Canadians don’t have the luxury of time, which is why legally controlled access to psilocybin-assisted therapy should be the first step any new government makes towards an ethical drug policy. It is time for Canadians to take their place in this global conversation and help to end the war on drugs. It is clear now that the historical decision to criminalize some drugs over others was politically motivated. American observers estimate that 1.5 million people are arrested each year for drug offences, with nearly half of them for cannabis possession, and the majority of those are people in racialized categories. Then, and now, those decisions were out of sync with science. Then, and now, those decisions contribute to suffering and disproportionately harm people who are often already marginalized. Ending the war on drugs is not a political issue, it is a human rights issue that has benefits for all Canadians. Professor Erika Dyck holds the Canada Research Chair in the history of health & social justice, and is the author of Psychedelic Psychiatry and other works. Photograph courtesy of Erika Dyck As we mark our ballots, we might think about who will best lead us into this new frontier that balances harm reduction with sound medical evidence. It is time to put any preconceived notions about psychedelic therapy aside, and say good-bye to the outdated mantra of "Just Say No" and embrace a new era: "Just Say Know". Ronan Levy is the co-founder and executive chairman of Field Trip Psychedelics Inc. Concurrent with his work at Field Trip, he is a partner at Grassfed Ventures, a venture capital and advisory firm focused on the cannabis and biotech industries, and a member of the board of directors for Trait Biosciences Inc., a biotech company in the hemp and cannabis industries. Erika Dyck is a professor and a Canada Research Chair in the history of health & social justice at the University of Saskatchewan. She is the author of Psychedelic Psychiatry (2008); Facing Eugenics (2013); co-author of Managing Madness (2017) and Challenging Choices (2020), and co-editor of Psychedelic Prophets (2018).