Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment has she made of the potential (a) medical, (b) research and (c) mental health uses for psilocybin.

There is no proven medical use for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies such as psilocybin in the United Kingdom and no substance has yet been licensed as safe and effective in the treatment of mental health conditions. The licensing regime for controlled drugs allows legitimate medical research to take place with an appropriate licence and safeguards. The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), which has invested £1.1 million in a randomised controlled trial to examine the feasibility, safety and efficacy of the use of psilocybin in people with treatment-resistant depression. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies.