UK's regulatory and legislative double standards in the treatment of psychedelics and drugs for assisted suicide.
The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science July 17, 2026 DOI: 10.1192/bjp.2026.10731 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractThe UK applies inconsistent drug regulation: drugs for assisted suicide would be approved with limited evidence, while psychedelics face barriers despite promising international evidence. The author argues that assisted-suicide drugs should meet the same standards as other medicines, and psychedelics should be rescheduled to allow more clinical research.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Editorial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Assisted suicide Drug approval Psychedelic drugs Terminal care |
| Key finding | Argues that UK drug regulation is inconsistent, favoring assisted-suicide drugs over psychedelics despite differing evidence bases. |
Abstract
This editorial highlights the UK's drug regulatory double standards. Drugs for assisted suicide would bypass standard regulation despite limited evidence, while psychedelics face significant barriers despite promising evidence internationally. I argue that drugs for assisted suicide should meet the same regulatory standards, and psychedelics should be rescheduled to enable further clinical research.