As clinical studies continue to show that psychedelics can improve mental health, individuals from across the world have begun considering experimenting with substances such as psilocybin and ayahuasca. There is only one problem: in most countries the personal use of such compounds remains highly illegal, with severe punishments for those who use it. So her we look into the current situation, are there any countries where psychedelics are legal?

Australia

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) Australia’s government authority responsible for evaluating, assessing and monitoring products that are defined as therapeutic goods. They regulate medicines, medical devices and biologicals.

The TGA approved medicines containing psilocybin to be prescribed by authorised psychiatrists from July 2023. Psilocybin can only be prescribed to treat patients with treatment-resistant depression (that is, depression that is resistant to other treatments). No other uses are currently approved for psilocybin in Australia.

Psilocybin retreats are legal in the following countries:

• The Netherlands 
• Jamaica

Ayahuasca-based retreats are currently legal in the following countries:

• Mexico
• Costa Rica
• Peru
• Brazil (only in some cases for religious use)

USA

Psilocybin legal for therapeutic use

• Colorado
• Michigan (Ann Arbor/Washtenaw County)
• Oregon 

Psilocybin Decriminalised

• California (Oakland, Santa Cruz)
• Washington D.C.
• Massachusetts (Cambridge, Northampton, Somerville)
• Michigan (all other cities)
• Washington (Seattle)

Psilocybin Illegal

Psilocybin is illegal in all other states.