Timeline of psychedelic legalization and decriminalization
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This article contains a timeline of significant events regarding psychedelic drugs and their legalization and decriminalization for personal, religious, and/or medical use. Major psychedelics include LSD, psilocybin, mescaline, dimethyltryptamine (DMT), 5-MeO-DMT, and 2C-B. Some of these psychedelics are naturally occurring in plants, fungi, and animals, for instance in psilocybin-containing mushrooms, ayahuasca, peyote, and Sonoran Desert toad venom. This timeline also includes MDMA, which is closely related to psychedelics, but not other types of hallucinogens like ketamine, ibogaine, or cannabis.
1600s
1617
- Spanish colonialists broadly ban the use of various hallucinogens in Mexico.[1][2]
1620
- Spanish colonialists more specifically ban the use of peyote in Mexico.[3][4]
1800s
1899
- Oklahoma passes the first law banning peyote as part of anti-Native American sentiment, but the law is repealed a decade later.[5]
1910s
1916
- Three anti-peyote laws are introduced into Congress in the United States between 1916 and 1918 as part of anti-Native American sentiment but fail to pass.[6][3]
1930s
1930
- More than a dozen states in the United States ban possession of peyote as part of anti-Native American sentiment.[7]
1937
- Most states in the United States west of the Mississippi River have laws restricting peyote.[6]
1960s
1962
- The Kefauver–Harris Amendment is passed in the United States and research and sales of experimental drugs including psychedelics are thereby restricted.[7][8]
1963
- Psychedelics first discussed by a United Nations drug policy body.[9][10]
1965
1966
- Psychedelics like LSD are banned in California and certain other states.[7][12][11]
- LSD is banned in the United Kingdom.[13]
- The Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) within the United Nations recommended global control of psychedelics.[14][10]
1967
- Both the World Health Organization (WHO)[15] and United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)[16] issue resolutions recommending all nations to ban psychedelics.[10]
1968
- The Staggers–Dodd Bill criminalizes LSD and psilocybin in the United States, but was not heavily enforced.[17][18][19][13]
- LSD and dimethyltryptamine (DMT) are banned in Canada.[20]
1969
- The World Health Organization (WHO) suggested that the new international drug treaty by the United Nations would aptly control psychedelics in Schedule I. [21][10]
1970s
1970
- The Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 bans psychedelics including LSD, psilocybin, psilocin, mescaline, peyote, dimethyltryptamine (DMT), and MDA in the United States, placing them in Schedule I.[17][12][6]
1971
- The Convention on Psychotropic Substances by the United Nations bans psychedelics including LSD, dimethyltryptamine (DMT), mescaline, psilocybin, and psilocin among others internationally.[6][12][10]
- The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 bans psychedelics including LSD, dimethyltryptamine (DMT), mescaline, psilocybin, and psilocin among others in the United Kingdom.[12][22] 5-MeO-DMT is also banned as an ether of bufotenin.[23]
1974
- Canada bans psilocybin.[20]
- The Supreme Court of Spain decriminalizes possession of small amounts of drugs, including psychedelics.[24]
- Uruguay legalizes possession of small amounts of drugs, including psychedelics.[25]
1977
1978
- Congress in the United States passes the American Indian Religious Freedom Act, which enshrines protections for Native American religious practices including peyote use and possession.[6]
1979
- The Native American Church of New York (renamed to the Temple of the True Inner Light in 1980 and not actually Native American) sues for the right to use various psychedelics for religious purposes in the United States but largely loses the case.[28][29][30]
1980s
1982
1985
- MDMA is banned and placed in Schedule I in the United States.[7][12][13]
1986
- The United Nations bans MDMA internationally.[31]
- The United States passes the Federal Analogue Act, banning designer drugs structurally similar to existing controlled substances, including psychedelics.[32][33]
- The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) is founded by Rick Doblin in response to the United States banning MDMA, with the aim of working towards legal therapeutic use of psychedelics.[34]
- Brazil legalizes the use of ayahuasca for religious purposes.[25]
1988
1990s
1990
- The United States Supreme Court rules that use and possession of peyote for religious purposes is illegal, overriding Congress.[6]
- Czech Republic (Czechia) decriminalizes possession of small amounts of drugs, including psychedelics.[39][25]
1992
1993
- Congress in the United States passes the Religious Freedom Restoration Act to reverse the 1990 Supreme Court ruling on peyote religious legality.[6]
- Switzerland ends legal use of LSD and MDMA in therapeutic settings.[35][36][37][38][6]
1994
- Congress in the United States passes the American Indian Religious Freedom Act Amendments of 1994, which explicitly legalizes use and possession of peyote for Native American religious practices.[6][25]
- Colombia decriminalizes possession of drugs, including psychedelics.[25]
1995
- 2C-B is banned and placed in Schedule I in the United States.[7]
1996
- Canada passes the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) and places psychedelics, including LSD and psilocybin, in Schedule III.[12]
2000s
2001
2005
- Chile decriminalizes possession of small amounts of drugs for personal use, including psychedelics.[25]
- The United Kingdom bans psilocybin-containing mushrooms, which had been legal in the country due to a legal loophole.[42][25][43][44]
2006
- The United States Supreme Court rules that the União do Vegetal (UDV) can legally import and use ayahuasca for religious purposes.[6][7][45]
2008
- Peru legalizes the use of ayahuasca for religious purposes.[6][46][25]
- The Netherlands bans psilocybin-containing mushrooms, though "magic truffles" remain unaffected.[47][48][49]
2009
- A federal court in the United States rules that the Church of the Holy Light of the Queen, a Santo Daime church, can legally import and use ayahuasca for religious purposes.[6]
- Argentina decriminalizes possession of psychedelics, though the legal situation remains mixed.[25]
- Mexico decriminalizes possession of small amounts of drugs including LSD, MDA, and MDMA.[50][51][52][13]
2010s
2010
- The Czech Republic decriminalizes possession of small amounts of psychedelics including psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, and peyote.[46][53][25]
2011
- 5-MeO-DMT is banned and placed in Schedule I in the United States.[7]
2012
2013
- New Zealand passes the Psychoactive Substances Act, allowing government-licensed sale of psychoactive drugs including psychedelics.[25][54]
2014
- New Zealand passes the Psychoactive Substances Amendment Act, effectively reversing much of the 2013 act.[55][54]
- Switzerland once again legalizes medical use of certain psychedelics including LSD, psilocybin, and MDMA.[56][57][36][58]
- Flor da Mãe Divina (Flower of the Divine Mother), a Santo Daime church in California, applies for and obtains a permit from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to legally use ayahuasca for religious purposes.[59][60]
2016
2017
- The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designates MDMA-assisted therapy for treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a breakthrough therapy.[61]
2018
- The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designates psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) as a breakthrough therapy.[62]
2019
- Decriminalize Nature is founded in the United States and starts campaigning for decriminalization of naturally occurring entheogens.[5][63][64][65][66]
- Denver, Colorado votes to decriminalize psilocybin-containing mushrooms, becoming the first city in the United States to do so.[7][67][12][68]
- Oakland, California votes to decriminalize plants and fungi containing psychedelics including dimethyltryptamine (DMT), mescaline, and psilocybin following campaigning by Decriminalize Nature.[7][12][69]
- Israel approves compassionate use program of MDMA for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in medical settings, becoming the first country in the world to do so.[46][25]
- The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designates psilocybin for major depressive disorder (MDD) as a breakthrough therapy.[70][71][72]
2020s
2020
- Santa Cruz, California votes to decriminalize psychedelics including psilocybin, ayahuasca, and peyote.[7][12]
- Ann Arbor, Michigan decriminalizes all naturally occurring psychedelics, including psilocybin, ayahuasca, and peyote among others.[7][12]
- Washington, D.C. decriminalizes naturally occurring psychedelic plants and fungi, including psilocybin, ayahuasca, and peyote.[7][12][46]
- Oregon decriminalizes possession of small amounts of drugs including psychedelics and creates a legal psilocybin therapy framework, becoming the first state in the United States to do either of these things.[7][12][67][6][46][68]
2021
- California Senate approves bill to decriminalize several major psychedelics.[12][73]
- Seattle, Washington decriminalizes psilocybin-containing mushrooms, ayahuasca, and non-peyote-derived mescaline.[7][67]
- Oregon's bill decriminalizing drugs including psychedelics takes effect.[74]
- Several Massachusetts cities, including Somerville, Cambridge, Northampton, and Easthampton, pass measures deprioritizing or decriminalizing natural psychedelics.[75][67]
- Detroit, Michigan decriminalizes psychedelic plants and fungi including psilocybin-containing mushrooms.[76]
2022
- San Francisco, California decriminalizes psychedelic plants and fungi, including psilocybin, mescaline, and dimethyltryptamine (DMT) among others.[7]
- Colorado decriminalizes dimethyltryptamine (DMT), mescaline (excluding peyote), psilocybin, and psilocin and becomes the second state in the United States to enact a regulated psychedelic therapy program.[7]
- Canada adds psychedelics including psilocybin, MDMA, dimethyltryptamine (DMT), LSD, and others to its special access program for medical use.[46][77]
- Thailand begins studying psilocybin-containing mushrooms for therapeutic purposes and hints at further drug law reform.[25]
- The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) proposes scheduling five more-obscure psychedelics including 4-HO-DiPT, 5-MeO-AMT, 5-MeO-MiPT, 5-MeO-DET, and DiPT as Schedule I controlled substances.[78][79] The psychedelic community prominently challenges and opposes the proposal and the DEA soon withdraws it.[79][80][81][82][83]
2023
- Australia legalizes certain psychedelics for medical use, including psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and MDMA for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).[7][84][58]
- Berkeley, California decriminalizes personal use and possession of psychedelic plants and fungi, including those containing psilocybin, dimethyltryptamine (DMT), and mescaline (unless from peyote).[7]
- Eureka, California decriminalizes psychedelic plants and fungi including psilocybin-containing mushrooms.[85]
- Salem, Massachusetts decriminalizes psilocybin-containing mushrooms.[86]
- Minneapolis, Minnesota decriminalizes a number of psychedelics from plants and fungi.[87]
- Oregon's first legal psychedelic therapy center opens.[88]
- California legislature passes bill to decriminalize several major psychedelics.[89] However, California governor Gavin Newsom vetoes the bill.[90]
- British Columbia, Canada temporarily decriminalizes possession of small amounts of drugs including psychedelics.[46][91]
2024
- Oregon recriminalizes drugs including psychedelics, but legal psychedelic therapy continues.[92]
- Massachusetts voters reject ballot measure to legalize natural psychedelics such as psilocybin-containing mushrooms.[93]
- Utah approves pilot program of psychedelic therapy with psilocybin and MDMA at two major hospitals.[94]
- Olympia, Washington effectively decriminalizes plant- and fungi-based psychedelics such as psilocybin-containing mushrooms.[95][96]
- The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declines to approve MDMA-assisted therapy for treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), citing New Drug Application (NDA) limitations and other concerns.[97][98][99]
- The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designates LSD for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) as a breakthrough therapy.[62]
2025
- Colorado's legal psychedelic therapy program goes into effect and the first "healing centers" open.[100]
- New Mexico legalizes psychedelic therapy with psilocybin-containing mushrooms.[101][102]
- Germany establishes a compassionate use program of psilocybin for medical use, the first in the European Union.[25]
- Czech Republic (Czechia) legalizes psilocybin therapy for medical use.[25]
2026
- New Jersey approves two-year pilot program of psilocybin therapy.[103]
- King's County, Washington effectively decriminalizes entheogens. [104]
- Massachusetts lawmakers approve bills to create pilot psychedelic therapy programs.[105]
- British Columbia, Canada does not renew decriminalization of drugs including psychedelics.[91][77]
- President Donald J. Trump signs executive order fast-tracking Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review and potential approval of three psychedelic drug candidates (two psilocybin programs and methylone) for medical use in the United States.[106][107][108][109]
- Louisiana approves pilot psychedelic therapy program.[110]
- Nevada City, California effectively decriminalizes entheogens. [111]
See also
References
- ↑ Burkhart, Louise M. (2 March 2015). "Spain and Mexico". The Cambridge History of Magic and Witchcraft in the West. Cambridge University Press. pp. 429–460. doi:10.1017/cho9781139043021.020. ISBN 978-1-139-04302-1.
- ↑ Quezada, Noemí (1991). "The Inquisition's Repression of Curanderos". In Perry, Mary Elizabeth; Cruz, Anne J. (eds.). Cultural Encounters: The Impact of the Inquisition in Spain and the New World. University of California Press. pp. 37–57. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
The hallucinogens most frequently ingested were peyote ( Lophophora Williamisii ), ololiuqui ( Rivea Corymbosa ), and Ipomea Violacea and pipiltzintzin ( Savia Divinorum ). AGN, Edictos, tomo 2, fol. 87: The Holy Tribunal of the Inquisition circulated the first edict published in 1617, followed by many others during the colonial period, which stated that the use of hallucinogens would be harshly punished.
- 1 2 Dawson, Alexander S. (31 December 2019). The Peyote Effect: From the Inquisition to the War on Drugs. University of California Press. doi:10.1515/9780520960909. ISBN 978-0-520-96090-9. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Leonard, Irving A. (1942). "Peyote and the Mexican Inquisition, 1620". American Anthropologist. 44 (2). [American Anthropological Association, Wiley]: 324–326. doi:10.1525/aa.1942.44.2.02a00240. ISSN 0002-7294. JSTOR 663041.
- 1 2 Pollan M (2021). "Mescaline". This Is Your Mind on Plants. New York: Penguin Press. pp. 161–248. ISBN 978-0-593-29690-5.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "UC Berkeley BCSP". UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics. 17 March 2025. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 "Psychedelic Timeline". Psychedelic Times. 17 September 2025. Archived from the original on 16 April 2026.
- ↑ Nichols DE, Walter H (July 2021). "The History of Psychedelics in Psychiatry". Pharmacopsychiatry. 54 (4): 151–166. doi:10.1055/a-1310-3990. PMID 33285579.
- ↑ Eighteenth session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs within the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Summary record of the five hundred and eighteenth meeting (Verbatim Records No. E/CN.7/SR.518).
- 1 2 3 4 5 Bergkvist, Måns; Barrett, Damon; Edman, Johan; Johnson, Björn (7 March 2026). "Fear and Loathing in the United Nations: The Establishment of International Control of Psychedelics Through the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances". Contemporary Drug Problems 00914509261429506. doi:10.1177/00914509261429506. ISSN 0091-4509. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- 1 2 Rosborough, Brian Alexander (8 September 2022). "LSD: A Challenge to American Drug Law Philosophy". UF Law Scholarship Repository. 19 (2): 311. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
The New York State Senate and Assembly approved a law effective July 1, 1965, restricting the sale and possession of psychedelic agents.34 The new legislation provides, in part:35 [...] Violation of the New York law constitutes a misdemeanor [...]
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Dale, Rob (18 December 2025). "History of Psychedelics: A Chronological Timeline". Prohibition Partners. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Drug History Timeline". Drug History Timeline. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Questions relating to the Control of Substances not under International Control. Report of the Committee on Substances not under International Control. Note by the Secretary-General (No. E/CN.7/ AC.6/8). United Nations
- ↑ World Health Assembly, 20 (1967). Control measures for LSD and related substances. World Health Organization. https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/89509
- ↑ UN. (1967c). Economic and Social Council. (16 May 1967). LSD and similar substances. E/RES/1197(XLII)
- 1 2 Beres, Derek (13 October 2020). "Why Are Psychedelics Illegal?". Psychedelic Spotlight. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ Barnett BS, Siu WO, Pope HG (June 2018). "A Survey of American Psychiatrists' Attitudes Toward Classic Hallucinogens". J Nerv Ment Dis. 206 (6): 476–480. doi:10.1097/NMD.0000000000000828. PMID 29781894.
In 1968, personal possession of LSD and psilocybin was banned at the federal level with the passage of the Staggers-Dodd Bill. Although research on hallucinogens in the United States was still possible if researchers obtained appropriate approval from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), studies virtually ceased following passage of StaggersDodd.
- ↑ Brew, Baxter (9 June 2025). "Faltered States: The Rise, Fall, and Containment of Psychedelic Science in the United States". Scholarship @ Claremont.
The 1968 Staggers-Dodd Bill marked the formal turning point. It shifted federal drug policy from containment to punishment. Whereas previous laws targeted the sale, manufacture, and distribution of controlled substances, this bill criminalized mere possession for the first time. This legislative move followed in the footsteps of states like California, New York, and Nevada, which had enacted similar possession laws.300 While LSD research remained technically legal, stigma and professional risks made continued study nearly impossible. LSD was the first drug listed on the bill, underscoring its central place in the crackdown.
- 1 2 "Canada's Psychedelic Law History". PsychedelicLaw.ca. 18 October 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ World Health Organization. Expert Committee on Drug Dependence: Eighteenth report (No. 460). World Health Organization.
- ↑ "Misuse of Drugs Act 1971". 27 May 1971. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
- ↑ Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (10 June 2014). Update of the generic definition for tryptamines (PDF) (Report). Home Office. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- 1 2 Rosmarin, Ari; Eastwood, Niamh (July 2012). A Quiet Revolution: Drug Decriminalisation Policies in Practice Across the Globe (PDF) (Report). Release. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
Spain formally decriminalised possession and private use of small amounts of drugs in 1982, following a 1974 Supreme Court ruling.44, 45
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 "Worldwide Psychedelic Laws". Psychedelic Alpha. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ King, Leslie A. (July 2014). "New phenethylamines in Europe". Drug Testing and Analysis. 6 (7–8): 808–818. doi:10.1002/dta.1570. PMID 24574327.
In the United Kingdom Misuse of Drugs Act, most ring-substituted phenethylamines are either listed by name or are covered by generic definitions dating from 1977. [...] In the UK, a 1977 generic modification[6] to the Misuse of Drugs Act (Table 2) captured a wide range of ring-substituted phenethylamines; [...]
- ↑ Nutt, David (30 January 2025). "MDMA-assisted therapy: challenges, clinical trials, and the future of MDMA in treating behavioral disorders". CNS Spectrums. 30 (1) e15. doi:10.1017/S1092852925000057. PMC 13064729. PMID 39882724.
The UK's prohibition of MDMA followed a complex and arguably surprising path. In 1977, MDMA became prohibited through "proactive prohibition"—the first generic legislation of its kind—via a broad-ranging amendment to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.7 [...] MDMA was one of several hundred chemicals banned in the 1977 amendment.8 [...] Attaining Class A, Schedule 1 controlled drug status in 1977 did not prevent MDMA's subsequent rise as a highly popular dance drug.
- ↑ Marinacci, Mike (4 July 2023). "Temple of the True Inner Light: A DPT Eucharist on the Lower East Side". Psychedelic Cults and Outlaw Churches: LSD, Cannabis, and Spiritual Sacraments in Underground America. Simon and Schuster. pp. 219–231. ISBN 978-1-64411-708-8.
And in 1979 he appealed the DEA's decision in the U.S. District Court of New York, on behalf of the church and the 1,000-odd followers he claimed. The ruling in the case, Native American Church of New York v. United States, was mixed. Judge Milton Pollack dismissed the church's broadbased claims about the religious use of psychedelics in general, citing previous rulings regarding LSD and cannabis in similar cases, and affirming the federal government's interest in controlling drugs. But he also stated that the church could be given an exemption for peyote use if it was determined to be "a bona fide religious organization and would make use of peyote for sacramental purposes and regard the drug as a deity."3 Birnbaum appealed the ruling on constitutional grounds, but it was denied.
- ↑ Morris, Hamilton (31 May 2019). "Finding Hide-and-Seek". The Museum of Modern Art. Supplemental Video "The Native American Church of New York existed for a little over three years in the late 1970s. It had no affiliation with the federally recognized Native American Church of America and was not founded by Native Americans. Additionally, it counted no Native Americans among its members. After the arrest of its leader in 1979, The Native American Church of New York changed their name to The Temple of the True Inner Light."
- ↑ Native American Church of New York v. United States, 468 F. Supp. 1247 (S.D.N.Y. 17 April 1979) ("Native American Church of New York, Alan Birnbaum, Minister and Custodian, Plaintiffs, v. United States of America, Griffin Bell, Attorney General, Defendants. [...] United States District Court, S. D. New York. [...] the motion of the plaintiffs will be denied and the motion of the defendants will be granted in part and denied in part. [...] In 1976, Alan Birnbaum founded the Native American Church of New York and is now its minister and custodian. It is not affiliated with the Native American Church described above, and only a few of its roughly one thousand members are American Indians. The Native American Church of New York allegedly believes that all psychedelic drugs, including peyote, are deities. [...]").
- ↑ Morgan L (2020). "MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for people diagnosed with treatment-resistant PTSD: what it is and what it isn't". Ann Gen Psychiatry. 19 33. doi:10.1186/s12991-020-00283-6. PMC 7218633. PMID 32435270.
MDMA was classed as a Schedule 1 drug in 1986 by the United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971 [28], meaning it is illegal and considered to be dangerous without therapeutic value, thus carrying out clinical research with MDMA is extremely difficult. Under
- ↑ King, Leslie A. (2013). "Legal Classification of Novel Psychoactive Substances". Novel Psychoactive Substances. Elsevier. p. 3–27. doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-415816-0.00001-8. ISBN 978-0-12-415816-0. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Kau, Gregory (2008). "Flashback to the Federal Analog Act of 1986: Mixing Rules and Standards in the Cauldron". University of Pennsylvania Law Review. 156 (4). The University of Pennsylvania Law Review: 1077–1115. ISSN 0041-9907. JSTOR 40041401.
- ↑ Emerson A, Ponté L, Jerome L, Doblin R (2014). "History and future of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)". J Psychoactive Drugs. 46 (1): 27–36. doi:10.1080/02791072.2014.877321. PMID 24830183.
- 1 2 Buranyi, Stephen (26 November 2015). "Switzerland Briefly Legalized LSD Therapy and Then Couldn't Let It Go". VICE. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 Liechti ME, Gasser P, Aicher HD, Mueller F, Hawrot T, Schmid Y (2025). "Implementing psychedelic-assisted therapy: History and characteristics of the Swiss limited medical use program". Neurosci Appl. 4 105525. doi:10.1016/j.nsa.2025.105525. PMC 12341733. PMID 40800003.
This article describes the Swiss limited access program for psychedelic/3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted therapy. The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health can issue authorizations for the limited medical use of otherwise prohibited substances. To be eligible, patients suffer from a mostly incurable disease, the prohibited substance can alleviate the suffering, and there are no alternative treatments, or such treatments have already extensively been used with insufficient outcome. The current program started in 2014 with two physicians. In 2024, there were approximately 100 physicians who held authorizations to treat 723 patients with MDMA (245 patients), lysergic acid diethylamide (130 patients), or psilocybin (348 patients). [...]
- 1 2 Oehen P, Gasser P (2022). "Using a MDMA- and LSD-Group Therapy Model in Clinical Practice in Switzerland and Highlighting the Treatment of Trauma-Related Disorders". Front Psychiatry. 13 863552. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2022.863552. PMC 9082273. PMID 35546928.
The only documented exceptions to the dominant single setting in psychedelic psychotherapy took place in Switzerland from 1988 to 1993, when a small number of psychiatrists in private practice held licenses for the application of MDMA and LSD in psychotherapy also using a group setting (17).
- 1 2 "Psycholytic Therapy With MDMA and LSD in Switzerland". Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies – MAPS – Psychedelic Research for Psychological Healing. 1995. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Stevens, Alex; Hughes, Caitlin Elizabeth; Hulme, Shann; Cassidy, Rebecca (2022). "Depenalization, diversion and decriminalization: A realist review and programme theory of alternatives to criminalization for simple drug possession". European Journal of Criminology. 19 (1): 29–54. doi:10.1177/1477370819887514. ISSN 1477-3708. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Nugteren-van Lonkhuyzen JJ, van Riel AJ, Brunt TM, Hondebrink L (December 2015). "Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and toxicology of new psychoactive substances (NPS): 2C-B, 4-fluoroamphetamine and benzofurans". Drug Alcohol Depend. 157: 18–27. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.10.011. PMID 26530501.
2C-B was added to Schedule II of the 1971 United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances in 2001 (King, 2014) and is currently controlled in most countries.
- ↑ "Inclusion of 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine (2C -B)". United Nations : Office on Drugs and Crime. 20 March 2001. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Oliver, Mark (18 July 2005). "Law spells end for mushrooming trade". the Guardian. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
- ↑ Honigsbaum, Mark (29 November 2003). "High times in magic mushroom business". the Guardian. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
- ↑ "Erowid Psilocybin Mushroom Vaults : Law : UK: Mushroom Law Timeline 2002-2004". Erowid. 13 April 2005. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Greenhouse, Linda (22 February 2006), "Sect Allowed to Import Its Hallucinogenic Tea", The New York Times, ISSN 0362-4331, retrieved 29 June 2026
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Chesak, Jennifer (21 March 2024). "What psychedelics legalisation and decriminalisation looks like around the world". BBC Home. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ "Netherlands bans hallucinogenic mushrooms". NBC News. 12 October 2007. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Pellegrini M, Rotolo MC, Marchei E, Pacifici R, Saggio F, Pichini S (March 2013). "Magic truffles or Philosopher's stones: a legal way to sell psilocybin?". Drug Test Anal. 5 (3): 182–185. doi:10.1002/dta.1400. PMID 22887928.
- ↑ Hamilton Morris (13 February 2012). "Hamilton Morris and the Philosophers Stone: The Rise of Psychedelic Truffles in Amsterdam". Hamilton's Pharmacopeia [web series]. Episode S0E6. Vice Media. [Web article].
- ↑ "Mexico Decriminalizes Low-Level Possession". CBS News. 20 August 2009. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Wilkinson, Tracy; Marosi, Richard (23 August 2009). "Mexico shifts tactics in the drug battle". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ Mackey, Tim K.; Werb, Daniel; Beletsky, Leo; Rangel, Gudelia; Arredondo, Jaime; Strathdee, Steffanie A. (2014). "Mexico's "ley de narcomenudeo" drug policy reform and the international drug control regime". Harm Reduction Journal. 11 (31): 31. doi:10.1186/1477-7517-11-31. PMC 4234880. PMID 25395346.
- ↑ Dleštíková T (December 2022). "(De)criminalisation of psychedelics in the Czech Republic-Where are we heading in drug policy and legislation?". Int J Drug Policy. 110 103900. doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103900. PMID 36347160.
From what was mentioned above it is clear that the Czech legislators decriminalized possession of NPS, or their possession for personal use in quantity not exceeding the minimum. It happened in 2010 by adopting the new Criminal Code.
- 1 2 Peacock A, Bruno R, Gisev N, Degenhardt L, Hall W, Sedefov R, White J, Thomas KV, Farrell M, Griffiths P (November 2019). "New psychoactive substances: challenges for drug surveillance, control, and public health responses". Lancet. 394 (10209): 1668–1684. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(19)32231-7. PMID 31668410.
New Zealand's Psychoactive Substances Act (PSA) is the most cited example of the establishment of a legal, regulated market. It proposed a pre-market approval regulatory regime in which product sponsors could legally manufacture and sell their products if they provided evidence that their products were low risk. This approach initially garnered support because manufacturers were responsible for demonstrating safety, meaning the costs of product testing were borne by industry, and sale of approved products would be subject to retail restrictions.118 A later amendment to the PSA ultimately prevented the approval of any new products, with some arguing the amended regulatory regime has become equivalent to a blanket ban.119
- ↑ "Psychoactive Substances Amendment Act passed". The Beehive. 8 May 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Elçi, Aylin (23 April 2025). "Switzerland is home to Europe's only psychedelics treatment". SWI swissinfo.ch. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
- ↑ Aicher HD, Müller F, Gasser P (March 2025). "Further education in psychedelic-assisted therapy - experiences from Switzerland". BMC Med Educ. 25 (1) 341. doi:10.1186/s12909-025-06871-y. PMC 11881254. PMID 40045361.
In Switzerland, MDMA, psilocybin, and LSD are applied in the framework of limited medical use as exceptional treatment options since 2014.
- 1 2 Langlitz, Nicolas (6 September 2025). "Experiments in medicalization: psychedelic therapy in Switzerland and Australia". BioSocieties. doi:10.1057/s41292-025-00369-y. ISSN 1745-8552. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
Drawing on long-term ethnographic engagement with the psychedelic research community, [this article] presents two case studies: Switzerland's Limited Medical Use Program and Australia's Authorized Prescriber scheme. Both allow psychedelic therapies outside clinical trials, yet neither grants market access.
- ↑ Lattin, Don (26 October 2022). "A Legal Ayahuasca Church Thrives in Southern California". Lucid News - Psychedelics. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
- ↑ Stoddard, Brad (2023). "Entheogens: Psychedelic religion in the United States, part one". Religion Compass. 17 (10) e12474. doi:10.1111/rec3.12474. ISSN 1749-8171.
Admittedly, the U.S. government has only officially recognized that a handful of groups have the right to consume for religious reasons what are otherwise illegal psychoactive substances. These groups include Native Americans, whose use of peyote is protected by the most recent version of the American Indian Religious Freedom Act; União do Vegetal, a group in New Mexico that consumes hoasca or ayahuasca (Beyer, 2010); two branches of Santo Daime in Oregon, a group that consumed Daime or ayahuasca (Dawson, 2013); Flower of the Divine Mother church in Los Angeles, a group affiliated with Santo Daime in Oregon (Lattin, 2022); and Oratory of Mystical Sacraments, a church in New Hampshire that consumes mushrooms (Hayward, 2020). If there are more churches that have obtained full legal recognition, they have kept their status private and not, to my knowledge, shared it with the public.
- ↑ Welch, Ashley (31 August 2017). "FDA designates MDMA as "breakthrough therapy" for PTSD". CBS News. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- 1 2 Herrington, A.J. (11 March 2024). "FDA Grants Breakthrough Therapy Status To LSD Drug To Treat Anxiety". Forbes. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Tomoski, Miro (14 February 2020). "Entheogenic Plants & Fungi: The Campaign to Decriminalize Naturally Occurring Psychedelics". DoubleBlind Mag. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
- ↑ Branson-Potts, Hailey (22 June 2019). "How a trip on magic mushrooms helped decriminalize psychedelic plants in a California city". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
- ↑ Jaeger, Kyle (18 June 2019). "Movement To Decriminalize Psychedelics Spreads Nationally". Marijuana Moment. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
- ↑ Walker-Journey, Jennifer (20 August 2021). "Decriminalize Nature Co-Founder Wants to Free Entheogens Everywhere". Psychedelic Spotlight. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Psychedelics Legalization & Decriminalization Tracker". Psychedelic Alpha. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- 1 2 Siegel JS, Daily JE, Perry DA, Nicol GE (January 2023). "Psychedelic Drug Legislative Reform and Legalization in the US". JAMA Psychiatry. 80 (1): 77–83. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.4101. PMC 10069558. PMID 36477830.
- ↑ Ravani, Sarah (5 June 2019). "Oakland decriminalizes shrooms and other natural psychedelics". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- ↑ Brooks, Megan (25 November 2019). "FDA Grants Psilocybin Second Breakthrough Therapy Designation". Medscape. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Saplakoglu, Yasemin (25 November 2019). "FDA Calls Psychedelic Psilocybin a 'Breakthrough Therapy' for Severe Depression". Live Science. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Feltman, Rachel (26 November 2019). "The FDA is fast-tracking a second psilocybin drug to treat depression". Popular Science. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Dembosky A, Lakshmi S (1 June 2021). "Amid Ongoing Debate, State Senate Approves Bill to Decriminalize Psychedelic Drugs in California". KQED. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ "Oregon ballot measure decriminalizing drugs takes effect". The Washington Post. 1 February 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ Wuthmann, Walter (21 October 2021). "Easthampton is the fourth city in Mass. to vote to decriminalize psychedelics". WBUR News. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Wang, Frances Kai-Hwa (3 November 2021). "Detroit just decriminalized psychedelics and 'magic mushrooms.' Here's what that means". PBS News. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- 1 2 "Canadian Psychedelic Law News". PsychedelicLaw.ca. 26 April 2024. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Carpenter, David E. (25 January 2022). "DEA Proposes Adding Five Psychedelic Compounds to Schedule 1". Lucid News - Psychedelics, Consciousness Technology, and the Future of Wellness. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
- 1 2 Psychedelic Alpha (29 July 2022). "Inside the Challenge to DEA's Proposed Scheduling of 5 Psychedelic Tryptamines". Psychedelic Alpha. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
- ↑ Jaeger, Kyle (7 February 2022). "DEA Faces Backlash Over Proposed Scheduling Of Five Psychedelic Compounds". Marijuana Moment. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
- ↑ Martinovic, Jelena (7 February 2022). "Will The DEA Give In As Advocates Revolt Over Proposed Scheduling Of Five Psychedelic Compounds?". Benzinga. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
- ↑ Matthew Aragón (9 January 2024). "Meet Moxy: The Novel Psychedelic the DEA Tried To Ban". doubleblindmag.com. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
- ↑ "STATEMENT OF MATTHEW BAGGOTT, PH.D. [In the Matter of Scheduling 4-OH-DiPT, 5-MeO-AMT, 5- MeO-MiPT, 5-MeO-DET, and DiPT]" (PDF). July 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
- ↑ Nutt DJ, Hunt P, Schlag AK, Fitzgerald P (December 2024). "The Australia story: Current status and future challenges for the clinical applications of psychedelics". Br J Pharmacol. 183 (14): 4048–4057. doi:10.1111/bph.17398. PMID 39701143.
[...] in 2023, the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved the use of psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression and MDMA for PTSD to take effect from 1 July 2023. [...] compassionate use [of psychedelics] has been allowed in Switzerland for decades and more recently in Canada (TheraPsil, 2024) and Israel.
- ↑ Adlin, Ben (19 October 2023). "After California Governor's Psychedelics Bill Veto, Another City Council Approves Decriminalization Resolution". Marijuana Moment. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Jaeger, Kyle (16 May 2023). "Salem, Massachusetts Lawmakers Vote To Decriminalize Psilocybin Mushrooms". Marijuana Moment. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Orrick, Dave (21 July 2023). "Mayor Frey orders Minneapolis police to lay off enforcing laws against hallucinogens". Star Tribune. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ Selsky, Andrew (15 September 2023). "Oregon's new psilocybin service center invites public to try psychedelic mushrooms". PBS NewsHour. Associated Press. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ McGreevy, Patrick (7 September 2023). "California moves to decriminalize use of magic mushrooms and other natural psychedelics". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ McGreevy, Patrick (7 October 2023). "Newsom vetoes psychedelics legislation". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- 1 2 "Decriminalizing people who use drugs in B.C." Province of British Columbia. 26 May 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Kane, Jenny (1 April 2024). "Oregon governor signs a bill recriminalizing drug possession". PBS NewsHour. Associated Press. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ Wuthmann, Walter (6 November 2024). "Massachusetts voters reject proposal to legalize certain psychedelic drugs". NPR. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Harkins, Paighten (21 March 2024). "Utah quietly legalizes psilocybin, MDMA for mental health treatment at these hospitals". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ Robertson, Kipp (13 August 2024). "Olympia City Council effectively decriminalizes some psychedelics". king5.com. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Chapman, Jake (15 August 2024). "Olympia decriminalizes some psychedelic drugs like mushrooms". KIRO 7 News Seattle. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Jacobs, Andrew (9 August 2024), "F.D.A. Declines to Approve MDMA Therapy, Seeking More Study", The New York Times, ISSN 0362-4331, retrieved 28 June 2026
- ↑ Jacobs, Andrew; Nuwer, Rachel (4 February 2025), "How a Leftist Activist Group Helped Torpedo a Psychedelic Therapy", The New York Times, ISSN 0362-4331, retrieved 28 June 2026
- ↑ Semley, John (29 July 2025). "Psychedelic Therapy Crashed and Burned. MAHA Might Bring It Back". WIRED. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ Powers, Hanna (26 July 2025). "A look inside Denver's first licensed psilocybin healing center open to patients". KDVR. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
- ↑ Romero, Leah (10 April 2025). "Medical Psilocybin Act becomes law in New Mexico, but what's next?". Source New Mexico. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ "Medical Psilocybin Program". New Mexico Department of Health. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ Angell, Tom (21 January 2026). "New Jersey Governor Signs Bill Creating Psilocybin Therapy Pilot Program And Allocating $6 Million To Psychedelic Treatment Effort". Marijuana Moment. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ Dotson, Drew (2026-03-25). "King County resolution decriminalizes psychedelic mushrooms". Seattle Weekly. Retrieved 2026-08-29.
- ↑ Jaeger, Kyle (20 March 2026). "Massachusetts Lawmakers Approve Bills To Create Psychedelic Therapy Pilot Programs". Marijuana Moment. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Barco, Mandalit del (18 April 2026). "Trump signs order fast tracking review of psychedelics for mental health disorders". NPR. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ "President Trump Signs Executive Order to Accelerate Psychedelic Research and Access". Psychedelic Alpha. 18 April 2026. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Hendricks, Peter S. (6 May 2026). "Trump's executive order on psychedelics is the right move. But is my field ready for it?". STAT.
In quick succession, the FDA issued priority review vouchers to Compass and Usona for their psilocybin programs and to Otsuka for methylone, and it cleared DemeRx's noribogaine to begin the first U.S. clinical trial of an ibogaine derivative.
- ↑ "Breaking: FDA Awards Priority Review Vouchers to Otsuka, Compass, and Usona". Psychedelic Alpha. 24 April 2026. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Angell, Tom (26 June 2026). "Louisiana Bill To Create Psychedelic Therapy Pilot Program Funded By Opioid Settlement Dollars Takes Effect Without Governor's Signature". Marijuana Moment. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Writer, Natalie Hays | Staff (2026-08-28). "Nevada City Council unanimously approves resolution declaring psychedelic mushrooms as low-priority by law enforcement". The Union. Retrieved 2026-08-29.