The History of Psychedelics (Part 2 of 2)
The History of Psychedelics (Part 2 of 2)
In part one of this two-part series, we unearthed the story behind the prohibition of psychedelic substances, and how strict regulations resulted in a hugely stigmatized industry.
Over the last decade however, new breakthroughs proving the untapped therapeutic potential of medicinal psychedelics are coming to the fore, leading many to believe that restricting them may have in fact been premature.
The graphic above from Tryp Therapeutics is the last in a two part series that explores how psychedelics have evolved over the last 6,000 years.
The Psychedelic Renaissance
After decades of being labeled as illegal narcotics, the industry reinvented itself as a viable solution for treating hard-to-treat illnesses in a safe and controlled way.
“Psychedelics, used responsibly and with proper caution, would be for psychiatry what the microscope is for biology and medicine or the telescope is for astronomy.”
—Stanislav Grof
This unprecedented comeback has sparked a global medicinal psychedelics movement, with the U.S. leading the way in decriminalizing these powerful drugs.
| Year | Milestone | Region |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 (Aug) | The FDA grants MDMA-assisted psychotherapy Breakthrough Therapy Status | U.S. |
| 2018 (Aug) | COMPASS Pathways receives Breakthrough Therapy Status from the FDA for a psilocybin synthetic derivative | U.S. |
| 2019 (March) | Esketamine is approved in the form of Spravato by the FDA, followed by European Commission approval | Global |
| 2019 (June) | Denver, Colorado and Oakland, California vote to decriminalize psilocybin mushrooms | U.S. |
| 2019 (Nov) | The world’s first microdosing study using LSD is approved in Auckland | New Zealand |
| 2019 (Nov) | Usona Institute receives Breakthrough Therapy Status for psilocybin treatment for Major Depression Disorder (MDD) | U.S. |
| 2020 (Feb) | Santa Cruz, California votes to decriminalize psychedelic substances including psilocybin, ayahuasca, and peyote | U.S. |
| 2020 (March) | MindMed becomes the first publicly traded psychedelics company | U.S. |
| 2020 (July) | More than 45 companies claim to be engaged in the development and evaluation of therapeutic candidates from psychedelic substances | Global |
| 2020 (Nov) | Oregon legalizes psilocybin and decriminalizes all drugs | U.S |
| 2020 (Nov) | Washington, DC decriminalizes entheogenic psychedelics | U.S |
| 2020 (Nov) | New research suggests DMT can stimulate the production of new brain cells | Spain |
| 2020 (Dec) | MAPS completes first successful Phase III trial of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy | U.S. |
| 2020 (Dec) | Analysts announce that psychedelics could become a $100 billion market | Global |
With study after study proving the many benefits of utilizing psychedelic substances for a range of both mental and physical conditions, huge progress in legitimizing this once stigmatized industry is now being made.
The Future of Psychedelics
Psychedelics’ newfound momentum looks set to continue well into 2021 and beyond, with the first major milestones hinting at what the next decade could hold for the industry.
| Year | Milestone | Region |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 (Jan) | In Hawaii, a Senate bill put forward in January could legalize psilocybin and psilocin, otherwise known as magic mushrooms | U.S. |
| 2021 (Feb) | With California now introducing new legislation to decriminalize most psychedelic substances, we could see a sea-change of decriminalization across the world | U.S. |
| 2021 (March) | Over 285 active, soon to be active, and completed psychedelics trials are recorded around the world | Global |
The next chapter in the psychedelics story will center around biotechnology, new drug discoveries, and the many unknown applications of each of these substances.
Currently, the application of therapeutic psychedelics has mainly been targeted toward mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. However, we have only scratched the surface when it comes to the myriad of ways we could harness the power of these sacred plants.
A New Era of Medicine
While the history of psychedelics is undoubtedly complex, it is clear that they are starting to play an important role in the evolution of medicine.
Even though studies on these substances were halted in the past, new research has proven the potential psychedelics have to alleviate some of the most hard-to-treat diseases when used in a safe, controlled environment.
As a result, these groundbreaking drugs could save millions of lives and add trillions of dollars to the global economy—and that’s just the beginning.
Tryp Therapeutics is an early leader in the psychedelic medicine space. The pharmaceutical company leverages the therapeutic properties of psilocybin to create new solutions for the treatment of diseases with high unmet medical needs.
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