The Japan Times - Czechs greenlight magic mushroom use from 2026

Several countries have recently legalised the use by psychiatrists of the naturally occurring hallucinogenic compound, including New Zealand this year.

Lawmakers in the Czech Republic -- an EU and NATO member of 10.9 million people -- legalised the use of psilocybin in May, in an amendment to the penal code which also eased the rules for marijuana possession.

The government decision, which sets the rules for the drug's use, allows psychiatrists and psychotherapists to administer psilocybin if "treatment by registered medical substances is inefficient or if intolerance is proven".

They can only use psilocybin to treat cancer-related depression, clinically serious depression without psychotic symptoms and a worsened mental condition threatening the patient's life.

Health Minister Vlastimil Valek hailed the decision as beneficial for "the Czech health system, the expert public and patients".

In recent years, the therapeutic potential of psychedelic substances like psilocybin, as well as LSD and MDMA, has sparked renewed interest among scientists for treating depression and addiction.

New Zealand approved the use of psilocybin for depression treatment in June.

Germany allowed two clinics to use psilocybin within a "compassionate use programme", the first of its kind in the EU, in July.

Czech doctors have been allowed to prescribe medical cannabis since 2015, and cannabis treatment has been covered by public health insurance since 2020.

The centre-right Czech coalition government of right-winger Petr Fiala held its last meeting on Wednesday.

It will yield to a new coalition cabinet led by billionaire Andrej Babis, which is due to be sworn in next Monday following a general election in October.

K.Abe--JT