The new NPS legislation that on July 1, 2025 takes effect, it indeed changes the playing field for psychedelic sessions with substances that are chemically related to MDMA. This change places entire groups of substances, under which phenylethylamines, cathinones and benzofurans, on list IA of the Opium Act. Much MDMA analogues will therefore soon fall under this and will be banned by definition..

What does this mean specifically for MDMA sessions after July 1, 2025?

1. Guided sessions with legal analogues are becoming more difficult.The MDMA analogue that Triptherapie currently uses is legal because it is not (yet) on the Opium List. However, as soon as the new group ban takes effect, there is a high probability that this analogue will also fall under the law. Triptherapie is closely monitoring whether their current substance remains legal — and if that changes, they will clearly communicate this and make adjustments.

2. Bringing your own MDMA remains an option., but under conditions:
   Triptherapie continues to offer sessions where clients a small amount of MDMA yourself (max. 500 mg) bring along. That remains permitted as long as it concerns personal use and not for sale or distribution. It After all, the use of MDMA is not a criminal offense., only possession, manufacture and trade is that.

   This means that you can still have an MDMA session after July 1st, as long as:

   1. you arrange the fabric yourself,

   2. have this tested beforehand at an accredited testing center,

   3. you indicate this during the intake and

   4. you adhere to the maximum amounts (0.5 grams).

   The supervisor then acts as tripsitter, not as a supplier.

3. Alternatives continue to exist:
   Should the current MDMA analogue fall under the new law, Triptherapie is investigating other legal alternatives. Consider combinations of natural substances, such as psilocybin (e.g. in a psilocybin session) or other substances that can mimic the effects of MDMA and are not, or will not be, prohibited.

Summary: your options after July 1

• Bring your own MDMA (analog) (max. 500 mg) remains possible in a private session.
• Current legal analogues may be banned; Triptherapie then seeks legal substitutes.
• Psilocybin or truffle sessions remain legal and can be a valuable alternative.
• Book early Before July 1st can be smart if you still want to take advantage of the current legal offer.

You can always start with the intake for psychedelic therapy, in which you indicate your preferences and situation — Triptherapie will then work with you to determine the best approach for after July.

On July 1, 2025, a new amendment to the Opium Act will come into effect, under which 'substance classes' will be generically prohibited. With this law, entire groups of chemically related substances ('substance groups') will be placed on List IA of the Opium Act. For example, all phenethylaminederivatives – the building blocks of amphetamines and ecstasy drugs – are explicitly banned. The central government reports that this means “entire groups of substances with the same basic chemical structure” will henceforth be illegal all at once, regardless of their precise composition. The new regulation is intended to prevent a cat-and-mouse game with “legal highs”: instead of banning every new designer drug separately, the entire group (e.g., all MDMA analogues) is now included in the Opium Act.

Status of MDMA analogues after July 1, 2025

All MDMA analogues (e.g. MDA, MDEA, 6-APB, etc.) will fall under the new generic ban after July 1, 2025. This is because these substances are all derived from 2-phenethylamine, and are therefore included in the prohibited substances group according to List IA. Example: 6-APB (benzofury) is currently still not individually named in the Opium Act, and therefore not formally prohibited, but after entry into force it will become illegal as a phenethylamine analogue. MDA and MDEA (3,4-methylenedioxiamphetamine/-ethamphetamine respectively) will also fall under the ban and can no longer simply be used legally. Only substances that as medicine those registered (EMA marketing authorization) are henceforth exempt from the ban. Because no MDMA analogues are registered as medicinal products, in practice they remain prohibited for general use. There are currently no indications that any of these analogues will remain legally available after July 1, 2025.

Clinical research and MDMA analogues (NL/Europe)

For the time being, clinical research focuses primarily on MDMA itself, not on analogues. In the Netherlands and Europe, various studies into MDMA-assisted therapy are currently underway (mostly in collaboration with MAPS/Universities), but not specifically into MDA, MDEA, or 6-APB. There are no Public clinical trials are known in which one of these analogs is used therapeutically. However, there is (pre)clinical research into new analogs of MDMA: for example, an international study (led by MedUni Wien) recently synthesized three new MDMA variants (ODMA, TDMA, SeDMA) that may be safer. In cell studies, these new substances showed the same therapeutic potential as MDMA, but likely with fewer side effects. Internationally (outside the Netherlands), work is also being done on analogs in a clinician setting: biotech company Transcend Therapeutics published positive phase 2 results in late March 2025 with methylone (a cathinone analogue of MDMA) in PTSD patients. This demonstrates the interest in alternatives to MDMA. However, in the Netherlands and the EU, there are (as far as is known) no ongoing or planned studies in which MDA, MDEA, 6-APB, or similar analogues are used.

Use by therapists after July 1, 2025 (exemptions and exceptions)

Following the entry into force of the NPS Act, therapists are not permitted to prescribe MDMA analogues 'just like that': any possession or use falls under the prohibition. The only legal route is via an officially registered medicinal product or a legally permitted exemption. In practice, this means that MDMA analogues can only be used under strictly controlled conditions. Medicines those holding an EMA license are explicitly exempt from the ban. For example: if an MDMA analogue had ever been approved as a medicine, it would fall outside the Opium Ban. For the time being, that is not the case. For clinical research, researchers can Opium Act exemption applications. The law explicitly states that organizations with a “legitimate interest” (e.g., scientific research) may request an exemption to develop or study medicinal products. In practice, such an exemption must be applied for at the CBG/Pharmatech (Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport), with consultation with the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate (IGJ). The State Secretary indicates that this procedure takes approximately three months. Only after such an exemption, or within the context of an approved clinical trial, may a prohibited substance (such as an MDMA analogue) be used legally.

In shortAs of July 1, 2025, MDMA analogues will no longer be freely accessible for therapy. A therapist can only legally work with such a substance through exceptions (e.g., research or registration procedures). Without EMA registration, prescribing or preparing MDMA analogues remains expressly prohibited. The new law therefore offers no free scope for 'legal' MDMA analogues in mental healthcare; any potential use will be possible exclusively through formal licensing processes or as a registered medicinal product (in the future).