Psychedelics-assisted psychotherapy in Germany
The new Medicines Act since 2004 restricts the development of psychedelic therapy in Germany. It created obstacles for researchers and the pharmaceutical industry. Unfortunately, since 2004, experimental studies with any pharmaceuticals have become massively difficult and associated with very high costs. Even large university hospitals cannot pay for the expensive research. As a result, research on all not immediately lucrative pharmaceuticals was stopped, and experimental research projects on pharmaceuticals fell by around 80 percent. Scientific experiments with hallucinogens ceased completely. Without narrow-minded requirements, Germany would be considerably advanced in research of psychedelics In 2008, for example, scientists were unable to carry out an LSD study for which all permits were in place due to the lack of financial resources. Other EU countries such as Holland or Spain circumvent the regulations by treating psychedelics not as pharmaceuticals but as recreational drugs to be researched. The English used to pretend that the rules don’t exist while being in the EU. And the Swiss, who have been leaders in this field for decades, are not subject to EU directives.