The Stream

Psychedelic drugs: harmful or therapeutic?

The Stream looks at the risks and benefits of these drugs on mental health.

Ecstasy pills in hand. (UIG via GETTY)

Have we lost decades of research on mental health disease because of legal controls on psychedelic drugs? Some scientists claim LSD and MDMA hold the key to treating illnesses like schizophrenia and depression, and are calling for an end to the restrictions on working with them. Others though, say they are too risky to experiment with and the long term dangers are not known. We will speak to experts who argue both sides. Join us at 19:30 GMT. 

In this episode of The Stream, we speak with: 

Bertha Madras @harvardmed
Professor of Psychobiology at Harvard Medical School
hms.harvard.edu

David Nutt @ProfDavidNutt 
Chair of the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs
drugscience.org.uk

Rick Doblin @RickDoblin
Founder and Executive Director of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)

Rachel Hope
Writer 

What do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.