Leading psychiatrists and Conservative drug reformers are calling on UK ministers to reclassify psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, from schedule one to schedule two under the Misuse of Drugs Act. They argue this would facilitate research into its potential as a treatment for cluster headaches and other conditions.
Cluster headache sufferers, who experience severe pain unrelieved by existing drugs, have also written to Health Secretary Sajid Javid and Crime and Policing Minister Kit Malthouse. They highlight evidence that psilocybin can reduce both the physical and mental impact of the condition. Many patients currently break the law by buying the drug online for self-medication.
Three world-renowned psychiatrists—Prof Allan Young, Prof Karl Friston, and Prof Simon Wessely—have urged the ministers to commission Chief Medical Officer Sir Chris Whitty to assess the evidence for psilocybin's harms and utility. They note a recent study showing “impressive results” for treatment-resistant depression and ongoing investigations into its benefits for anorexia, obesity, PTSD, and addictions.
The psychiatrists argue that there has been no recent review of psilocybin's scheduling and that the Home Office's refusal to downgrade it is inconsistent with the precedent set for cannabis-based medicinal products in 2018. Conservative MP Crispin Blunt, who supports the reclassification, claims Prime Minister Boris Johnson agreed to reschedule psilocybin in a meeting last May, but no action has been taken.
A government spokesperson expressed sympathy for cluster headache sufferers but noted that no psilocybin-based medicine has been licensed by the MHRA. They added that the government is working with the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to consider removing barriers to legitimate research on controlled drugs, including psilocybin.
