Psychedelic drug research held back by UK rules and attitudes, say scientists

Psilocybin, the active ingredent in magic mushrooms, is a ‘schedule 1’ controlled drug, making it difficult and expensive for scientists to obtain. Photograph: Nigel Dodds/Alamy

Draconian licensing rules and a lack of public funding are holding back the emerging field of psychedelic medicine in the UK, leading scientists have warned after the release of groundbreaking results on the use of psilocybin to treat depression.

The latest clinical trial found that a single dose of the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, combined with psychotherapy, helped alleviate depression in nearly a third of patients with severe depression. The finding follows other promising results suggesting that psychedelic drugs could be used in treating conditions including anxiety, PTSD, addiction and anorexia.