Legal status of psilocybin in Australia

In February 2023, the Therapeutic Goods Administration of Australia announced that from July 2023, approved psychiatrists will be able to prescribe psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression.

All other uses of psilocybin will remain prohibited, meaning recreational use of psilocybin is currently and will remain illegal in Australia.

This announcement means that Australia will become the first country in the world to officially recognise psychedelics as medicines.

Psychiatrists wishing to prescribe psilocybin will first need to become an Authorised Prescriber. To become this, they must first be endorsed by a Human Research Ethics Committee or a specialist College, as well as the TGA. They will have to prove they have sufficient processes and expertise to ensure the drug can be used safely and effectively as a mental health treatment.