Update on psychedelic therapy drugs a positive step in mental-health care: experts

A doctor and a psychologist say Health Canada's move to allow physicians to request restricted psychedelic drugs for patients as part of their psychotherapy is a positive step toward transforming mental-health care.

But they say the recent change to the Special Access Program isn't enough.

"We still have a huge amount of work to do because these medicines could really, really revolutionize the entire mental health-care field," said Dr. Michael Verbora, who works as a medical director at the Field Trip Health therapy centre in Toronto.

"I don't want to get too far ahead of where the science is ... but I do really, really believe that if people have a process to start their own healing, it can lead to a much better world for most people."

Psychedelic assisted therapy involves ingesting consciousness-altering substances -- including psilocybin, ketamine, LSD or MDMA (the active ingredient in ecstasy) -- in a clinical setting as part of more traditional psychotherapy.