Report Contents Jump to any section in the series
- Introduction →
- Definitions And Scope →
- Executive Summary →
- Key Trends →
- Market Value →
- Legislation and Regulation →
- Consumer Attitudes →
- Healthcare Providers’ Attitudes →
- Spotlight On Health →
- Psychedelics – Timeline of Key Developments →
- Countries to Watch →
- Psychedelic Profiles →
- Key Psychedelics Deep Dive →
- Other Psychedelics of Note →
- Psychedelics as Medicine: Potential Therapies →
- Psychedelics and Technology →
- Psychedelics Per Country →
- Psychedelics and The Law →
- Patents and Intellectual Property →
- Therapy Practitioners →
- Psychedelic Research →
- Glossary →
Psychedelics – Timeline of Key Developments
A chronological overview of scientific, regulatory and policy milestones shaping the development of psychedelics as medicines.
Arthur Heffter isolates mescaline for the first time
Dybowsky and Landrin isolate ibogaine for the first time
Anton Köllisch synthesises MDMA for the first time
Albert Hofmann synthesises LSD for the first time
LSD is introduced as a commercial medication to psychiatrists under the trade-name Delysid
Albert Hofmann isolates psilocybin for the first time
Calvin Stevens synthesises ketamine for the first time
Walter Pahnke and colleagues conduct the Good Friday Experiment
California bans LSD
Staggers-Dodd Bill passes, banning possession of LSD and other stimulants and depressants without a prescription
UN publishes the Convention on Psychotropic Substances; psychedelics including LSD, DMT and MDMA are now internationally controlled substances
US Controlled Substances Act comes into effect moving most major psychedelic drugs to Schedule I
UK passes Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, placing controls on most known psychedelics
MDMA will be used by a small group of psychotherapists for the next eight years
MDMA joins other psychedelics and is added to Schedule I under an emergency ban by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)
Canada moves many psychedelics, including LSD and psilocybin, to Schedule III
World’s first clinical trial of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy begins in Madrid; it will be shut down before completion
Personal possession of all drugs decriminalised in Portugal
Results from an open-label pilot study show 80% of participants smoking-free six months after psilocybin-assisted therapy
MDMA-assisted psychotherapy granted Breakthrough Therapy designation (BTD) from the US FDA
COMPASS Pathways receives Breakthrough Therapy designation from the US FDA for COMP360
Esketamine approved in the form of Spravato by FDA, followed by European Commission approval in December
Denver, Colorado votes to decriminalise psilocybin mushrooms
Oakland, California votes to decriminalise psilocybin mushrooms
Usona Institute receives US FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation for psilocybin treatment for MDD
COMPASS Pathways announces US patent approval of COMP360 for treatment of TRD
Santa Cruz, California votes to decriminalise psychedelic substances including psilocybin, ayahuasca and peyote
MindMed becomes the first publicly listed psychedelics company
A number of ballot initiatives to decriminalise / legalise psychedelics in states in the US are impeded by the spread of COVID-19
MAPS preparing for FDA approval after positive interim analysis of phase III trials of MDMA for PTSD
Oregon Psilocybin Service Initiative (IP34) succeeds in placing legal psilocybin for treatment in a medical setting on the state ballot for November 2020
Health Canada grants four exemptions for use of psilocybin in palliative care
Ann Arbor, Michigan becomes third US city to decriminalise psychedelic substances including psilocybin, ayahuasca and peyote
Numinus Wellness harvests Canada’s first legal psilocybin mushrooms
Washington DC decriminalises psychedelic substances including psilocybin, ayahuasca and peyote
Oregon decriminalises psychedelics and creates psilocybin-assisted therapy framework with the passing of Measures 109 and 110
UK approves clinical trial for DMT to treat depression
UK’s first ketamine-assisted psychotherapy clinic opens in Bristol
Australian government invests AU$15 million into research of psychedelic medicines
MAPS publishes results from phase IIIa clinical trial, showing potential for MDMA to combat PTSD
California Senate approves bill to legalise possession of psychedelics
COMPASS Pathways completes phase IIb clinical trial for psilocybin derivative to treat TRD
Health Canada approves real-world open-label trials for MDMA-assisted therapy to treat PTSD
Many key psychedelics were synthesised in the early 20th century. MDMA was first synthesised by Anton Köllisch in 1912, while LSD was synthesised by Albert Hofmann in 1938. Hofmann later isolated psilocybin in 1958. Ketamine followed shortly after, synthesised by Calvin Stevens in 1962.
The global shift toward prohibition began in the 1960s and 70s. The United States banned LSD in 1966, and the UN published the Convention on Psychotropic Substances in 1971, classifying LSD, DMT, and MDMA as internationally controlled substances. MDMA was later added to Schedule I in the US in 1985.
Significant reform began in 2019, when Denver, Colorado became the first US city to decriminalise psilocybin mushrooms, followed by Oakland and Santa Cruz, California. A major breakthrough occurred in November 2020, when Oregon passed measures to decriminalise psychedelics and create a legal framework for psilocybin-assisted therapy.
The FDA has granted “Breakthrough Therapy” designation to accelerate the development of promising treatments. MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD received this designation in 2017. Subsequently, COMPASS Pathways (2018) and Usona Institute (2019) received the same designation for their psilocybin therapies for treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder, respectively.
The financial market for psychedelics opened up significantly in March 2020, when MindMed became the first psychedelics company to go public. This marked a turning point for industry investment, followed by other companies like COMPASS Pathways achieving patent approvals and advancing clinical trials.
