Dear Sir or Madam,

 

As a constituent deeply concerned about the pressures faced by our local mental health services and the fact that many residents here do not currently have access to the treatment they need, I write to you regarding the urgent need to address the completely un-evidenced schedule 1 status of psilocybin and allow qualified psychiatrists the right to prescribe it. All I ask is that you simply sign the open letter from MPs requesting that the Home Office review the evidence and reschedule psilocybin.

 

There is a mental health crisis in the U.K. where, on average, 125 people commit suicide every week. Psilocybin, the psychoactive compound in magic mushrooms, could be a powerful aid to the psychotherapy of depression, addiction, and trauma when administered in a controlled setting by a trained professional. Yet, it remains in Schedule 1 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, hindering research and prohibiting patient access. Rescheduling psilocybin would facilitate research and allow psychiatrists to prescribe it, reducing suffering and saving lives, without affecting its class A status under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

 

It is imperative that we take meaningful steps towards facilitating access to potentially life-changing treatments. I am pleased to see the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) has made recommendations to facilitate research. I hope the government will now act immediately to accept and implement their recommendations but I believe the current focus on facilitating research does not go far enough. While research is vital, it is equally important to prioritize patient access through rescheduling.

 

Psilocybin’s status as a Schedule 1 drug under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 is not only outdated – it actively obstructs essential UK medical and scientific progress. The evidence supporting the therapeutic potential of psilocybin, particularly in treating treatment-resistant depression, is substantial. Yet, continuing to ignore the clear case for rescheduling—which the Home Office has already acknowledged is unjustified in response to numerous official written questions—increasingly places us behind other countries in the development of innovative mental health treatments.

 

The actions taken by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration to allow prescription and the United States Food and Drugs Administration to grant Breakthrough Therapy status for psilocybin underscore its significant medical value. The UK’s failure to update antiquated policies prevents licensed psychiatrists from prescribing this potentially life-saving treatment to those in need.

 

I am aware of polling data showing that 4 in 5 members of the public support a change in the law that would allow patient access to psilocybin (Public Attitudes to Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy. Drug Science and Psilonautica. 2021), and that the Royal College of Psychiatrists, as well as mental health charities CALM and SANE, have also contacted the government about this matter.

 

The ACMD’s recommendations to reduce barriers to researching Schedule 1 drugs are commendable steps. However, they do not address the fundamental issue of psilocybin’s unjustified scheduling. We cannot continue to let down the millions of individuals suffering from mental health conditions who could benefit from access to psilocybin-assisted therapy.

 

The fact is that there has never been a review of evidence since it was first controlled over 50 years ago. As a constituent, I hope you will join in calling on the Home Office to finally put this right.

 

Therefore, I urge you to take immediate action: give access to patients via psychiatrists’ prescription, and base psilocybin’s scheduling on evidence. This can be achieved by commissioning an urgent review of the evidence by the ACMD with rescheduling to facilitate patient access being the aim. It is time for the UK to lead the way in providing innovative, safe, and effective mental health treatments to its citizens. As my local MP, I request that you address this issue by joining your colleagues in signing the open letter without further delay.

 

Please visit www.par.global to view the open letter and learn more, or email info@par.global with a request to add your signature.

 

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

I look forward to your response.

 

Yours sincerely,[Your Name][Your address - this is required to prove that you are a constituent]