In March 2024, there were some interesting developments in the field of psychedelic therapy in the Netherlands:
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Legislative amendmentIn January 2024, the House of Representatives approved a new law that makes it easier to ban entire groups of psychedelic substances in one fell swoop. However, this law must still be approved by the Senate before it takes effect. The ban on substance groups may affect the availability of certain psychedelic therapies.1.
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Legal substancesAt present, psychedelic therapy is still possible in the Netherlands using legal substances. Below are some examples of substances and their status before and after the new ban on substance groups:
- Psilocybin: Illegal, but possible with truffles.
- MDMA: Illegal, but possible with analogues (note: this may change).
- LSD: Illegal, but possible with analogues.
- Ayahuasca: Illegal.
- Psilohuasca: Legal.
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Future prospectsAlthough it is difficult to predict the future exactly, there are developments to recognize psychedelic therapy as a medical treatment. This could facilitate the offering and reimbursement of psychedelic sessions. It is expected that psychedelic sessions will be more difficult to provide starting this summer, but that psychedelic therapy will be recognized as an official treatment within one or two years.1.
For the current range and legal provisions, you can visit the website of psychedelic therapy Netherlands. 🌿🧘♀️