A consensus statement from a 2023 meeting of 27 experts identifies 20 points of consensus across five ethical issues for integrating psychedelic medicines into mainstream medical practice: reparations and reciprocity, equity, and respect; informed consent; professional boundaries and physical touch; personal experience; and gatekeeping. The meeting included clinicians, researchers, Indigenous groups, industry, philanthropy, veterans, retreat facilitators, training programs, and bioethicists. The statement focuses on government-approved medical use in the US and abroad, emphasizing that policymakers must address challenges ahead while acknowledging the hopeful moment.
The revival of psychedelic medicalization is often presented as a story of scientific legitimacy and neurotherapeutic promise, but the sensitivity of psychedelics to environmental conditions has encouraged research on music, therapy, setting, and other contextual factors. This article examines how regulation actively shapes atmospheres of consumption for substances that alter affective and sensory perception. Debates over drug-centric versus therapy-centered models are situated within the broader issue of how law shapes contexts and settings of psychedelic consumption.
An executive order supports the development and approval of psychedelic drugs, but their integration into clinical care raises ethical and evidence-based concerns that must be addressed.