Czech Republic to allow medical use of psilocybin

From next year, patients in the Czech Republic will be able to access therapeutic psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms), following a criminal law amendment that legalises its medical use under strict conditions. Psilocybin treatment is to help people with depression and other conditions, for whom more conventional treatments, such as antidepressants, do not work. But funding and insurance coverage are still under negotiation, leaving the exact start date for wider access unclear, says Jiří Horáček, head of the National Institute of Mental Health (NUDZ).

The cost of a single psilocybin therapy can reach up to tens of thousands of crowns. Sessions last at least six hours and usually require two qualified therapists with psychiatric certifications and additional specialist training. Only a few dozen such specialists currently practise in the Czech Republic.