Neuropharmacology
August 13, 2022
Ingrid Donato, Veronica Magar, Sean J. Belouin et al.
49 citations
Psychedelic and entactogen medicines like psilocybin and MDMA, when combined with psychosocial support, show potential for safe, rapid, and durable clinical improvements. Both have received Breakthrough Therapy designation from the US FDA and may gain full approval, with similar regulatory steps in other countries. Regulatory changes are also increasing access to legal or decriminalized psychedelic use outside medical settings. This review covers historical use, current evidence, and policy considerations around standards of practice, consumer protection, community engagement, equitable access, and data standards. It suggests a public-private partnership involving diverse stakeholders to co-create best practices and public policies supporting responsible, ethical use.
Journal of psychoactive drugs
January 1, 2023
Julian Urrutia, Brian T Anderson, Sean J Belouin et al.
21 citations
Combining psychedelic science, contemplative practices, and Indigenous and other traditional knowledge systems in integrative, community-based models of care could transform global health. Both contemplative practices and certain psychedelic substances reliably induce self-transcendent experiences that positively affect health, well-being, and prosocial behavior, and combining them appears synergistic. Traditional knowledge systems offer ethnobotanical expertise and time-tested practices. A decolonized agenda for psychedelic research requires collaborative engagement with traditional knowledge stewards to co-develop evidence-based integrative care accessible to their communities. Health systems could include Indigenous and traditional healers as stakeholders in designing, implementing, and evaluating community-based approaches for safely scaling psychedelic treatments.
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
January 30, 2026
Veronica Magar, Marlena Robbins, Óscar Martín López Fernández Lobo Blanco et al.
1 citation
Indigenous Peoples have long stewarded natural psychoactive medicines through ceremony and kinship, yet their contributions are often marginalized in psychedelic science. This commentary argues for reciprocal collaboration grounded in Indigenous sovereignty, cultural rights, and governance. Drawing on traditions involving ayahuasca, psilocybin, peyote, and iboga, it illustrates how Indigenous methodologies offer critical insights for safety and efficacy. The authors call for embedding free, prior, and informed consent, equitable benefit-sharing, and Indigenous leadership in research and policy, moving beyond tokenism toward systemic change. They conclude by urging formal, transparent convening processes modeled on WHO global consultations to bring Indigenous leaders, researchers, and policymakers together.