Over the last few weeks, the federal government has taken a number of actions that signal a dark future for psychedelic therapies. Today we’ll take a quick look at what’s happened, and what may happen in the future. FDA gives thumbs down to MDMA Earlier in August, the FDA opted not to approve Lykos Therapeutics’
A new age for psychedelics We are on the verge of a psychedelic renaissance, with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepting a new drug application for midmafetamine (MDMA) in February of this year. MDMA the active ingredient in the common party drug “ecstasy” or “molly”. If approved, the drug would be used to treat
Despite decades of stigma and legal barriers, recent years have brought a profound shift in attitudes towards psychedelics. Driven by scientific inquiry and a growing recognition of their potential therapeutic benefits, the benefits of psychedelics are being explored. In this blog post, we explore the impact of an unexpected catalyst driving progress in psychedelics research–
A handful of entities are in various stages of the FDA approval process for MDMA and psilocybin drugs (see here and here for some of our prior analysis of the issues). FDA approval could happen in the next few years. But there’s a catch: psilocybin and MDMA are both schedule I drugs under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).
Anyone familiar with the cannabis industry knows how difficult it is to make money. Things are going to be even worse for people in the state-legal psychedelics industry – much worse. There are a few key reasons for this. I should note that this post is focused on the state-legal psychedelics industry (i.e., service centers)
The use of psilocybin (magic mushrooms) for therapeutic purposes gains traction Last month, the NBA and its players association reached a tentative deal that the league would no longer test players for marijuana. Indeed, the NBA is lifting its ban on marijuana in the new collective bargaining agreement. Meanwhile, the NFL and its players agreed
Among the emerging medical uses for MDMA and psilocybin is their relative dimethyltryptamine (DMT). Although a Schedule I drug in the United States, DMT increasingly is the subject of study for its potential efficacy in treating a wide array of mental-health conditions including depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Much of this research is occurring outside of
In the next few years, the FDA will likely approve drug formulations containing psilocybin and MDMA. While there are still many unknowns concerning how psilocybin and MDMA-based drug therapies will be regulated, we believe that many of the same trends we have seen over the last few years in ketamine therapy will apply to these
Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic prodrug compound produced by more than 200 species of fungi. Commonly found in tablet or crystal form, MDMA is a potent psychoactive drug with stimulant properties that produces experiences of empathy and sympathy. Both are currently prohibited in Australia, but will soon be available for therapeutic use. In so
Last week, we presented a psychedelics webinar entitled “How to Protect Your Psychedelics Business.” The panelists were Paul Coble, me (Griffen Thorne from our Los Angeles office), and Graham Pechenik of Calyx Law in San Francisco. In the webinar, we presented on business law and intellectual property issues that will affect new psychedelics businesses in
