Should psychedelic drugs be part of mental health care in ACT?

Australian Greens

A local researcher is asking Canberrans for their views on treating mental illness with the active ingredients found in ecstasy and ‘magic’ mushrooms, to inform future policy-making in the ACT.

“I would love for Canberrans with a range of views across the political spectrum partaking in this survey and offering their valued perspective,” said Johnathan Davis MLA, ACT Greens spokesperson on drug harm minimisation.

The survey by undergraduate researcher Ruby Olsson at the Australian National University aims to gain an indication of what the ACT public thinks about using MDMA and Psilocybin to treat mental health illnesses.

“The TGA has approved the use of MDMA and Psilocybin to treat mental illness in Australia by qualified medical professionals under a special access scheme. However, existing ACT legislation would need to be amended to allow this to proceed in the ACT,” said Ms Ollson.

“This is a growing area of interest in the Canberra community, especially during lockdown where we are seeing a recognition of the importance of good mental health for everyone,” Mr Davis said.

“This research will help our tertiary researchers and the medical community better understand the details of peoples’ thoughts and opinions about psychedelic drug use to treat mental health illnesses.

“The ACT Government relies on research like this to make good policy decisions.

“When it comes to a complicated issue such as drug use, having a broad and nuanced understanding is essential to considering all angles carefully.

The survey is available here: https://qfreeaccountssjc1.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8qx5woSHrhQy4YK until Monday 4 October. Survey participants need to be aged 18 or over.

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