The Time is Now: Granting equitable access to psychedelic-assisted therapies

Alarmed by the prevalence of suicide and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Canadian veterans, the Senate’s Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs is urging federal, provincial and territorial governments to launch and fund a large-scale research program on psychedelic-assisted therapy.

Despite evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of psychedelics, Canada has adopted a “wait-and-see approach” that is failing veterans struggling with major mental health problems, according to the subcommittee’s report, The Time is Now: Granting equitable access to psychedelic-assisted therapies, released on November 8, 2023.

“We have heard harrowing stories from veterans who have returned home from conflict zones only to face the darkest moment of their lives. The research into psychedelic-assisted therapy is too promising to ignore. Our veterans sacrifice so much — we must do everything we can to help them.” - Senator David Richards, Chair of the subcommittee

About 10% to 15% of Canadian veterans have been diagnosed with PTSD, as well as accompanying physical and mental health issues. Worse, the suicide rate is 50% higher for male veterans than for the general population, 200% higher for female veterans and 250% higher for male veterans under the age of 25, according to data from Veterans Affairs Canada.

?The subcommittee heard that military- or combat-related PTSD does not often respond well to psychotherapy and slow-acting antidepressants but that psychedelics such as psilocybin (magic mushrooms) and MDMA can be transformative. Preliminary research is promising enough that definitive research should be launched immediately to confirm their effectiveness. Given the legal restrictions on these substances, large-scale clinical research is currently the only way to make them accessible to veterans who have exhausted other treatment options. Canada owes it to its veterans to explore psychedelic-assisted treatments.

Quick facts

• In July 2023, Australia authorized psilocybin-assisted therapy in the treatment of cases of depression that are resistant to other treatments, and MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of PTSD. In Canada, Alberta became the first province to issue guidelines on the use of psychedelics.
• When veterans suffer from physical health and mental health issues associated with military service — such as depression, general anxiety disorder or substance abuse — these issues are known as “operational stress injuries” (OSIs).
• The most common treatment for OSIs is individual or group psychotherapy. Despite the progress of these therapeutic approaches, the OSI and PTSD remission rate is estimated to be 30% to 40%.