Psychedelics Are Trending: If You Are Seeing Psilocybin In The Headlines Everywhere,

This article was originally published on Cannabis.net and appears here with permission.

Yes, Psilocybin Is In Every Headline Now And That’s Exciting!

Psilocybin, better known as magic mushrooms, are clearly all the rage right now.

From consuming the raw real deal to accurately-dosed capsules, people are reaping the benefits of magic mushrooms left and right. They aren’t wrong: this compound in mushrooms is nothing short of miraculous when it comes to treating a variety of ailments affecting us, both mentally and physically. But since it’s still fairly new and less studied compared to conventional medications, there’s always going to be some kind of backlash.

Having said that, here are some of the biggest recent news on psilocybin:

Global Organization Starts Work To Try And Reschedule Psilocybin In UN Drug Act

On January 11, the International Therapeutic Psilocybin Rescheduling Initiative (ITPRI) began their campaign for medical mushroom reform globally. They state that the notoriously old 1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances Act needs some serious updating as it was originally established to keep people away from harmful drugs. They are working in collaboration with the Beckley Foundation, Mind Medicine Australia, MAPS, Osmond Foundation, Open Foundation, and Nierika AC.

However, we now have more data that psilocybin is therapeutic, and thus requires a change in its category.

“In most countries, legal control of psilocybin results from its Schedule I status under the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances,” they said in a press release. “Meant for dangerous drugs which create an especially serious risk to public health and whose therapeutic value is little to none, Schedule I drugs are subject to strict limits on their scientific and medical use. Schedule I licensing, safe-custody, security, manufacturing, quantity, and import/export restrictions result in a level of regulatory control and oversight that is drastically more onerous than for the Convention’s other three schedules. As a result, researchers wishing to study psilocybin face numerous regulatory hurdles which add significantly to the cost, complexity, and duration of research and can negatively impact ethical approvals, funding and collaboration.”

“Given today’s scientific understanding of psilocybin’s high potential therapeutic value and low risk of dependence, a change of its status as a Schedule I drug is long overdue.”

Med School To Focus On Psychedelic Therapy For PTSD, Anxiety, Depression

Researchers from the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin have just launched the Center for Psychedelic Research and Therapy. It’s the first of its kind in the state, with a focus on clinical research aimed at determining the potential for psilocybin as well as other psychedelics including ibogaine, ayahuasca, and MDMA for the treatment of PTSD, anxiety, and severe depression when used in conjunction with treatment from a trained…