On this week’s episode, we’re chatting all about the changing rules involving psychedelics and other controlled substances, featuring lawyer and leading expert, David Wood. Topics: Alberta’s regulation of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy; healthcare practitioners’ access to psychedelics; Canada’s Special Access Program; and our Ask-Me-Anything Program. This program contains 30 minutes of substantive content for the Law Society of Ontario’s CPD requirements.
Full Episode (55:14) Download Transcript
⚫ How will Alberta’s decision to regulate psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy meaningfully impact accessibility? (10:30)
⚫ What options are available to healthcare practitioners who want to consume psychedelics in the course of their own professional training (21:00)
⚫ How can Canada’s “Special Access Program” make controlled substances more available for patients with serious or life-threatening conditions? (30:44)
⚫ Our Ask-Me-Anything segment, featuring questions submitted by patrons of the Lawyered community (38:40)
? What is legal regarding psychedelics? What legal considerations are there for arranging psychedelics as a tool for therapy and are there different considerations across provinces? (39:20)
? What do you make of the mushroom commercial retail shops that are popping up across Canada? How does this compare to the rise of cannabis retail shops that occurred pre-legalization? (42:42)
? Do you think that psychedelic guides should be subject to professional regulation analogous to other health professionals? (46:34)
? Some commentators have suggested that requiring psychedelics to be administered only by a psychiatrist follows a Western medicalized structure. Are there other valid approaches – Indigenous, religious – that could be left behind? (48:47)
1. Alberta’s Regulation of Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy (12:59) Download
– “Alberta to be 1st province to regulate psychedelics for therapy, government says” (CBC News – Oct 5, 2022)
– Order in Council 351/2022 – “Mental Health Services Protection Amendment Regulation”
2. Toth: Requesting Psychedelics for Professional Training (12:25)Download
– Toth v Canada (Health and Addictions), 2023 FC 1283
3. Canada’s “Special Access Program” for Restricted Drugs (10:39) Download
– Regulations Amending Certain Regulations Relating to Restricted Drugs (Special Access Program): SOR/2021-271
4. Ask-Me-Anything: Psychedelics Law (16:14) Download
? What is legal regarding psychedelics? What legal considerations are there for arranging psychedelics as a tool for therapy and are there different considerations across provinces?
? What do you make of the mushroom commercial retail shops that are popping up across Canada? How does this compare to the rise of cannabis retail shops that occurred pre-legalization?
? Do you think that psychedelic guides should be subject to professional regulation analogous to other health professionals?
? Some commentators have suggested that requiring psychedelics to be administered only by a psychiatrist follows a Western medicalized structure. Are there other valid approaches – Indigenous, religious – that could be left behind?
About the Guest:
David Wood is a lawyer and patent agent, dividing his time between an inhouse position as General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer at Psygen Industries Ltd., and his private legal practice, R-Group Legal.
Psygen is a contract development and manufacturing organization focused on GMP manufacture of indolealkylamines, phenalkylamines and ergolines. Psygen is a licensed dealer authorized to manufacture LSD, MDMA, psilocybin, psilocin, DMT, 2-CB and mescaline. In both his inhouse role and through R-Group Legal, David provides intellectual property, regulatory and commercial advice. In addition to other clients in psychedelics and cannabis, R-Group Legal provides pro bono support to TheraPsil, a non-profit supporting patients and physicians in accessing psilocybin and advocating for psilocybin access. David holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Saskatchewan.
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