Canada authorizes 4 terminally ill patients to use psilocybin

Four patients with terminal cancer will be the first in decades to legally possess and consume psilocybin mushrooms in Canada following a historic decision made Tuesday by the country's health minister.

In April, patients submitted a petition to Health Minister Patty Hajdu seeking an exemption from Canada’s ban on psilocybin so they could use psychedelic mushrooms as part of their psychotherapy treatment. Terminally ill patients often experience «end-of-life distress,» a combination of depression, anxiety, despair, and demoralization.

On Tuesday afternoon, Patty Hajdu officially approved the patients' request, an announcement reposted by TheraPsil, a nonprofit organization that supported the patients' request.

NEWS: Four Canadians receiving palliative care who are experiencing end-of-life distress have been APPROVED to access psychedelic therapy through Section 56 exemptions. This historic decision marks the first known cases of individuals legally using #psilocybin since it was outlawed in 1974.https://t.co/AUlzjvKGcm

— TheraPsil (@TheraPsil) August 4, 2020

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This approval is likely the first time an exemption to the Canadian Drugs and Other Substances Act has been granted for access to psychedelic therapy, Therapsil said, and patients will be the first to legally consume psilocybin since 1974, when the compound became illegal in Canada.

«This positive outcome is possible when good people show genuine compassion. I am very grateful to be able to move on to the next stage of treatment,» said one of the patients, Thomas Hartle, in a statement on Tuesday.

Dr. Bruce Tobin, the founder of TheraPsil, expressed his gratitude to Minister Patty Hajdu in a press release

«Although it took some time, we are impressed by their willingness to listen to patients whose voices have not been heard and to change their approach and policies to take their interests into account and protect their needs.»

Laurie Brooks, one of the three other patients, said in the press release that she «felt quite moved» after hearing the good news. »The recognition of the pain and anxiety I suffer from means a lot to me,« she said. »I hope this is just the beginning and that soon all Canadians will have access to psilocybin for therapeutic purposes to relieve the pain they’re experiencing, without having to petition the government for months to get permission.”