Anxiety and OCD are among the disorders they could treat

May 28, 2015 09:15 GMT  ·  By
Scientist says psychedelics could treat anxiety, other psychiatric disorders
   Scientist says psychedelics could treat anxiety, other psychiatric disorders

Except for that one time when Ireland inadvertently made magic mushrooms, crystal meth, ecstasy and a whole lot of other drugs legal, psychedelics have been banned in the UK for decades now. 

It was in 1967 that they were classified as schedule 1 class A drugs on account of their being dangerous and of no medical use whatsoever, King's College London specialist James Rucker details in a report in the British Medical Journal.

These day, research facilities in the country can still hope to experiment with psychedelics, but only a few manage to overcome all the financial and bureaucratic hurdles and actually get around to testing such compounds.

This has to change, specialist James Rucker insists

King's College London researcher James Rucker argues that there is no evidence that people can become addicted to psychedelics or that such drugs could harm people if used in scientific research.

“No evidence indicates that psychedelic drugs are habit forming,” the scientist claims. “Little evidence indicates that they are harmful in controlled setting,” he adds, as cited by Science Daily.

Therefore, it makes sense to reclassify them and let medical experts and other researchers experiment with them as they see fit. More so since psychedelics appear to be able to address the symptoms of several psychiatric disorders.

Research on psychedelics wouldn't be a first for the country

It might be that very few studies involving hallucinogenic compounds have been carried out in the UK these past few decades, but this doesn't mean the country is a complete stranger to such experiments.

Au contraire, James Rucker says that psychedelics were of great interest to clinical psychiatry prior to the 1967 prohibition. They still are, as scientists have reasons to believe they can address several psychiatric disorders.

“Much historical evidence shows that they could have use in common psychiatric disorders,” says James Rucker. Anxiety, OCD and addiction to tobacco or alcohol are just some of the conditions psychedelics could treat.  

The hallucinogenic drugs might even prove effective against cancer and headaches, the King's College London researcher adds. Unless they are reclassified and scientists are granted permission to experiment with them, however, there's no telling just how beneficial they might prove.