Integration of psychedelics with Mental Health
"By next 2021, roughly 20 per cent of India will suffer from some form of mental illness"
Psychedelic Society of India, along with other organisations and individuals around the world, are calling on the Indian government to reschedule certain Psychedelics / Entheogens, a natural compound found in hundreds of species of plants that has been called a ‘breakthrough’ treatment for mental health.
Recent trials using psilocybin to treat depression and anxiety have returned staggering results, with 80% of patients reporting significantly improved wellbeing or life satisfaction for up to six months from just a single dose.
Psilocybin is currently a Schedule 1 substance. Schedule 1 substances are not authorised for medical use and can only be supplied, possessed or administered in exceptional circumstances under a special Home Office licence. This means psilocybin cannot be prescribed by doctors, and that conducting research with it is extremely time-consuming and expensive.
By rescheduling psilocybin from Schedule 1 to Schedule 2 or below, research would become faster and cheaper, and doctors would be able to start prescribing the substance when they see fit.
The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985
(India)
Petition - Decriminalize the use of Psychedelics of Mental Health
To the India Ministers for Drug Policy and Mental Health,
400 million people suffer from depression & anxiety in India. Research has shown the potential of psilocybin to treat these conditions2, 3, 4, 5, yet it is being hindered by the restrictive Schedule 1 status of the substance. Out of compassion for those suffering from depression & anxiety, we ask that you take immediate action to reschedule psilocybin.
