New Zealand has become one of the first countries to formally permit the therapeutic use of psilocybin, the psychoactive compound found in “magic mushrooms,” for patients suffering from treatment-resistant depression.
Announced on June 18, 2025, the policy allows the country’s first designated psychiatrist, Professor Cameron Lacey of the University of Otago, to prescribe psilocybin under strict regulations that include rigorous reporting and record-keeping to Medsafe, New Zealand’s drug regulatory authority .
Although psilocybin remains an unapproved medicine in New Zealand, the move marks a major shift toward integrating psychedelic therapies into mainstream mental health care. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the change as a “real breakthrough,” joining a growing global movement that includes Australia, parts of Canada, Switzerland, and U.S. states like Oregon and Colorado.
While initially limited to a single prescriber, the framework paves the way for more clinicians to apply for permission, signaling a cautious but meaningful embrace of psychedelic treatments in regulated therapeutic settings.
Source: Time
