Peer-reviewed scientific studies from leading medical research institutions like Johns Hopkins, Harvard, UCLA, and NYU find that natural psychedelic medicines show tremendous promise for a range of serious mental health challenges:

Major depressive disorder: Research recently published in The Lancet adds to a growing body of evidence for the potential for natural medicines to help people struggling with severe depression. Another 2023 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that a 25-mg dose of psilocybin along with therapy “was associated with a rapid and sustained antidepressant effect.”

Decreasing suicidality: A recent meta-analysis involving seven trials with psilocybin and ayahuasca (DMT) found “large effect sizes for acute (80-240 min) and sustained (1 day, 1-8 weeks, and 3-4 months) decreases in suicidality” among people who used the psychedelics compared to the placebo group.

Depression and anxiety among cancer patients: A study involving a group of patients with cancer-related anxiety and depression were randomly assigned a psilocybin treatment. At the 6.5-month follow-up, 60–80% of patients showed clinically significant reductions in depression and anxiety. Another study led by researchers at Johns Hopkins involving psilocybin-assisted therapy for cancer patients found that 80% of the participants reported moderate to greatly increased well-being and life satisfaction.

Alcohol use disorder: A 2022 study from NYU found that individuals with alcohol use disorder given psychedelic-assisted therapy reduced heavy drinking by 83%.

Opioid use disorder: A 2022 paper authored by researchers from Harvard, Yale, and Columbia found that psilocybin use was associated with a 30% reduction in the rate of opioid use disorder.

Research indicates that the benefits of natural medicines are durable and long-lasting. In a study involving patients with treatment-resistant depression, 75% of participants experienced significant relief while 58% were in complete remission after a 12-month assessment. Another study found that two-thirds of heavy smokers who wanted to quit remained abstinent 12 months after psilocybin-assisted therapy.

A growing coalition of veterans, first responders, and other courageous advocates are sharing their stories about how their lives have changed for the better thanks to natural medicines. A few examples include:

• Marine Corps veteran Juliana Mercer shared her story on the NYT Daily podcast, describing how psychedelics helped her deal with PTSD she experienced after serving in the Middle East.
• Retired NYPD Detective Ethan Abend, who suffered severe trauma after a home explosion, wrote about how psilocybin “saved his life.”
• Joe McKay, a former FDNY firefighter who lost 26 friends and colleagues on 9/11, wrote about how natural medicines helped him overcome severe depression and suicidality after years of suffering.
• The Healing Advocacy Fund, which is leading the implementation of regulated psychedelic therapy programs in Oregon and Colorado, published a collection of interviews with therapists, health care providers, and patients about how the Oregon program is helping people in need.

Voters in Oregon (2020) and Colorado (2022) approved state laws that establish regulated access to natural medicines. In 2023, over half the states considered legislation related to psychedelics and psychedelic-assisted therapy.