Alberta might not be everyone’s first guess for a province progressing on psychedelic policy. In contrast, British Columbia alone will decriminalize hard drugs, including MDMA, without leniency on LSD, DMT, or psilocybin. Alberta, on a lighter note, released a guide they will enforce by January 16 next year that outlines standards for psychedelic-assisted therapy
Alberta‘s upcoming guideline includes psilocin, MDMA, LSD, mescaline (peyote), DMT, 5-methoxy-DMT and ketamine. Health Care professionals must monitor psychiatric patients during their altered state of consciousness.
Trippy clinics for psychiatric health
Unless offered for end-of-life treatment, therapy must occur in a licensed clinic, hospital, or accredited facility when assisted by a mind-altering dose of psychedelics. And licenses for psychedelic therapy are regulated under the Mental Health Services Protection Act.
Prescriptions provided to patients must include dose and the time interval between dispersion. Psychedelics, however, must be given to a psychiatrist or Health Care professional and never directly to a patient.
And physicians must consult a psychiatrist before prescribing psychedelics in Alberta. And the licensed clinical must be managed and directed by a psychiatrist.
Psychedelic licenses upcoming for Alberta
Abiding by the Act and stationing psychiatrists in upper management are only two requirements a clinic must follow to maintain a psychedelic-assisted therapy license in Alberta. The province’s associate minister of mental health and addictions, Mike Ellis, is a former police officer. In a press conference, however, he sympathized with patients who have PTSD.
“Some of the strongest supporters are among first responders and veterans who suffer from high rates of PTSD and other mental health conditions.”
Mike Ellis
All license holders must also develop and maintain written policies, procedures and records. They are further required to ensure critical incident reporting and response and report service utilization and complaints. Likewise, staff employed by a license holder are to meet qualifications and training requirements.
Special exemptions
Clinical trials are, however, authorized under different regulations. Alberta‘s provincial psychedelic guidelines exclude research alongside alongside ketamine intended for non-psychedelic assisted therapy. Alberta has not given additional limitations on who can prescribe ketamine.
Further missing from the new regulation are dispensaries and cultivation sites. Alberta is putting a guide into force next year that only covers the administration of psychedelics for treating psychiatric disorders.
Overriding self-care
The guide avoids self-administration of psychedelic therapies. Patients must engage in settings offered by providers, opening a safe option for novices to psychedelics. It can conversely promote the monopoly and ego-minded nature of space providers, which can occur in the psychedelic sitter space.
Alberta‘s new regulations self-justifies by claiming, “mind-altering properties of psychedelics result in an increased risk of mental and physical harm.” Altered states of consciousness can lead to precarious scenarios, warns
Psychedelic professionals vetted by Alberta’s regulatory colleges
A blend of professionals from Alberta Health Services, experts in psychedelic-assisted therapy, and regulatory colleges developed the guidelines. And the new regulations recognize a half-dozen regulatory colleges in Alberta.
- Alberta College of Occupational Therapists
- College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta
- College of Alberta Psychologists
- College of Registered Nurses of Alberta
- College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Alberta
- Alberta College of Social Workers
Alberta‘s upcoming psychedelic-assisted therapy guide encourages research without applying to clinical trials. Plus, the regulations only cover psychiatric disorders and do not cover the use of psychedelics for pain.
