OPEN FOUNDATION recently posted the article: The Netherlands should be 'At forefront" of psychedelic research, says Dutch government.
This article reports that Ernst Kuipers, the new Dutch Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport, has given his green light for more research into psychedelic therapy, citing "promising results" for generally difficult-to-treat mental illnesses through psychedelic-assisted therapy.
This is a change for the Dutch government, which in recent years has used more prohibitionist or avoidant language when it comes to issues surrounding psychedelics. The new government has also announced that a state commission will look into the medical use of MDMA - a political compromise that stems from the ongoing discussion in the Netherlands about the possible legalization of MDMA for recreational use.
The Netherlands at the forefront of psychedelic research
Apart from MDMA, other psychedelic substances – such as psilocybin1 and ketamine2 – have also demonstrated promise. Kuipers strikes a more cautious tone when speaking about these compounds, affirming the need for more research due to the preliminary nature of current results: “Most of these substances are still in the investigative phase of research. […] It is up to the relevant field parties to follow up on these results. This concerns conducting the necessary research, completing the step-by-step registration process for approval of the substance, and the development of guidelines and protocols necessary for treatment.”
Kuipers further stresses the need for extensive education, the training of psychedelic therapists, and the need to better understand individuals engaged in self-experimentation. He adds that he is “willing to play a facilitating and advising role” in implementing psychedelic research and that his ministry has recently conducted exploratory meetings with researchers and mental healthcare institutions.
New Research
According to Kuipers, an estimated 1.2 million Dutch citizens currently seek curative mental healthcare each year. Another 215,000 citizens suffer from severe psychiatric illness, a segment of the patient population that is very difficult to treat with current therapies. Kuipers has announced he will allocate 35 million euros to mental healthcare research over the next four years, made available through the Dutch grant organisation ZonMw. Grants will support multidisciplinary studies focused primarily on clinical applied research.
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