Should Drug Treatments for Depression be Allowed to Mushroom?

Cannabis-derived products are now being legally used in many parts of the US and Canada. There has also been a debate about prescribing cannabis oil to treat some forms of fitting in the UK (although that seems to drag on and on). It is certainly the case that attitudes to cannabis have changed dramatically in recent times. Robin Carhart-Harris of Imperial College, London has suggested that we ought to explore hitherto illegal psychoactive materials more widely in the search for preparations that can alleviate conditions like depression (https://www.theguardian.com/profile/robin-carhart-harris). He argues that this is especially important now, as the Covid-19 lockdown is likely to have a lasting impact on the mental health of sections of the UK population. Carhart-Harris seems especially enthusiastic about psilocybin, the active ingredient of so-called 'magic mushrooms'. I agree that a tendency has been evident not to explore the potential medical benefits of some compounds, simply because they have been perceived as illegal 'highs' used by sensation seekers. There actually seems to be little wrong with testing these materials using appropriately ethical scientific studies. Any improvements in our pharmacological armoury are surely welcome.