THE PSYCHEDELICARE INITIATIVE
Discover the future European Citizens’ Initiative for the medical use of psychedelics in the European Union
The reasons
There’s a mental health crisis going on. Let’s face it.
Today, in the European Union, more than 1 out of 6 people are suffering from mental health conditions. More than ever before.
Depression, burnout syndromes, PTSD, insomnia, are just some of the problems touching millions of people of any age.
Mental ill-health issues cause suffering for the individual, families and communities and put tremendous pressure on the health, educational, economic, labor and social welfare systems across the EU member States.
The estimated cost is €600 billion, more than 4% of GPD per year. Each and everyone of us is concerned, either directly or indirectly.
An unseen mental health emergency is sweeping across the European Union, like a silent pandemic
Too frequently we are left with the same old treatments. Treatments that my father could have been given decades ago are still some of the latest treatments. We need to discover more about the brain and science in order to accelerate discovery for better treatments.
Pharmacology is showing its limits. And its problems.
Since the advent of SSRIs (antidepressants), in the last three decades, there has been no substantial innovations in the field of psychopharmacology.
A significant proportion of patients do not respond to the currently available psychiatric treatments.
Many mental conditions are still hard to treat, and people often face unpleasant side effects such as increased weight gains, insomnia, headaches and lack of libido.
Perhaps most importantly, some of these treatments require long-term or life-time use, treating symptoms rather than the roots that cause the conditions.
Science shows new old solutions which can be very effective.
Scientific research around the world highlights the therapeutic potential of psychedelic substances, often used by many cultures for centuries in tradition healing process.
With professional assistance and the right set and setting, just one or a few doses can produce very important benefits for the patients, which often last for a long period of time.
A growing body of medical findings indicates the effectiveness of psychedelic substances such as psilocybin, DMT, LSD, MDMA as medicines, when administered in a controlled clinical setting.
Psychedelic- assisted therapies (PATs) can provide safe, rapid acting, and robust clinical improvements with durable effects in, among others, the treatment of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, end of life anxiety, substance use disorders and addictions.
Australia has already recognised and formalized the use of natural psychedelics for mental health. Additionally, psychedelics receive growing support from public authorities and agencies in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, among others.
MDMA therapy is likely to be approved in the United States by 2024.
Millions of Europeans are in need of better treatments. We need to ensure that novel psychedelic treatments are being considered, as the science behind them hilights their immense potential.
THE INITIATIVE
It’s much more than a petition. It’s a European Citizens’ Initiative.
A European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) is a transnational request, a unique way for people of different States to help shape the EU by calling on the European Commission to propose new laws.
Once an initiative has reached 1 million signatures, the Commission will decide on what action to take.
We plan to launch this initiative by 2024.
To launch an ECI, a least 7 citizens from 7 different EU Member States must form a “Citizens Committee”.
This Committee submits the initiative to the Commission which verifies if the request respects certain criteria, notably if the request falls within the EU competence.
Once an ECI has reached 1 million verified signatures from at least 7 EU member States, the Commission replies within 3 months and decides what action to take on the questions included.
Before we can make real progress in the medical use of psychedelics, we need to cultivate mainstream acceptance of these substances.
The PurposeS
What we are aiming for:
Inform about the benefits of psychedelics for mental health
Promote debates on psychedelics, mental health and drug policy reform
Improve mental health in the European Union
Psychedelics present such a potential to help people in need and we, as European citizens, can help make a difference. The PsychedeliCare Initiative will be an amazing participatory democracy tool to put pressure on the EU to finally take action on the medical use of psychedelics.
THE REQUESTS
Our requests to the European Commission
Propose an initiative aimed at establishing guidelines allowing the phased roll-out of the medical-use of psychedelics in the European Union
Boost EU-funded research into the promising therapeutic applications of psychedelic compounds to meaningfully increase scientific and clinical evidence on the safety and efficacy of psychedelic novel treatments
Coordinate the work of Member States willing to make appropriate recommendations to the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances, as the evidence indicates a public health benefit for rescheduling those compounds
Let’s mind our mind.
GET INVOLVED!
We are promoting this initiative as European citizens. We are looking for like minded individuals and organizations in different European countries who believe in nature, science and people power to make a positive change. If you are interested in joining this initiative, please fill the form below. We will get back to you to give you with more information about the initiative and how you can help.
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