Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and psilocybin, also known as “magic mushrooms,” are a few somewhat commonly known psychedelic drugs. The label “psychedelic” refers to their shared ability to warp and distort the user’s perception of reality. The usage and possession of these substances are illegal under the Controlled Substances Act, as they are considered Schedule I drugs. Just to drive home how these drugs are treated: Schedule I substances, under federal law, have no recognized medical benefits while having severe and dangerous potential for abuse and addiction. The aforementioned psychedelic drugs all rank above drugs such as OxyContin, fentanyl and methadone in severity, as they fall under Schedule II due to their approved medicinal uses.
In recent years, many states have legalized and highly decriminalized the usage of marijuana, some just for medicinal purposes, but others for recreational usage as well. Starting in 2020, Oregon legalized the licensed permitted use of psilocybin in a therapeutic, clinical setting. As of 2025, Colorado is issuing these licenses as well. Several other states have moved to decriminalize and legalize the controlled usage of psilocybin, but are still in the process of doing so.
As stated before, the medical relevance of the substance has much to do with its legalization, yet many are not convinced of the benefits of “psychedelic therapy.” In no way has psychedelic therapy become a popular or even somewhat common treatment for mental health disorders, but clinical trials have shown some positive results in people with treatment-resistant depression and post-traumatic stress disorder patients who do not respond to the most common antidepressant, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs). As a psychology major and someone who has been prescribed several antidepressants, I know these SSRIs — which are practically the first thing prescribed to patients with depressive symptoms — take up to weeks or months in some cases to begin working because the brain is rebuilding neural connections and literally changing the functionality of its synaptic receptors at a cellular level. Even beyond the chemical component, the body takes a while to “recalibrate” the change. Scientists have begun recognizing that these same synapses, the place where neurons communicate through neurotransmitters, are rebuilt and healed more rapidly when dosing with psychedelics. Patients with severe depression could receive far more immediate relief from symptoms if this hypothesis proves to be true. I also believe that as more research is done, more states will come to legalize its medical usage, possibly to the point where it can be prescribed for outpatient use.
However, I have a lot of fears and concerns surrounding the potential mixed legalization of psychedelic drugs used to treat depression, such as MDMA and psilocybin. Since my AP Psychology class during my junior year of high school, I have been taught that all forms of medication, including SSRIs, work best when the patient is consistently attending therapy while on the medication. For psychedelics, this is only more true. Due to the intense effects of these drugs, from causing hallucinations to extremely heightened emotions to increased empathy, it is in the best interest of everyone’s safety that the administration of the drug occurs in a controlled environment. It is also important to have a physician there for the patient to talk to, since the experience the patient is having can be very insightful towards the root causes of their depressive disorder. The goal should not be to keep a patient dosed with psychedelics at all times. Without that aspect of having a qualified observer to have a grounded and objective perspective on what the patient is experiencing, mentally and emotionally, the entire process could lose its medical benefits after the drug wears off. I believe it will work best as a therapeutic and interpersonal tool.
Should drugs used in psychedelic therapy follow the same path to legalization as marijuana, people may begin to believe they can self-medicate without medical supervision. Without a trained practitioner around, there are real and dangerous risks involved when using psychedelic substances. There is even a chance that the usage of these drugs at home could worsen symptoms without a medical professional present, since many will have bad experiences with extremely negative emotional outcomes and reactions. If there is no chance for inferences toward treating the patient effectively to be made during the trip, there are far more risks than the chance for benefits. It will be an interesting legal tightrope to cross to balance the medicinal benefits of psychedelics with protecting patients when they are outside of care, and I hope further research continues to occur all over the country.
Caitlin Wong, FCRH ’27 is a psychology and English Major from Union, N.J.
