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Six terminally ill cancer patients in Canada received the country's first legally produced psilocybin, the psychoactive compound found in "magic" mushrooms, under new rules about access to the substance.
The people received the drug, alongside therapy, over the weekend.
Health Canada amended its rules in January so that doctors could request access to manufactured psilocybin for terminally ill patients as part of a special access program. Psilocybin is illegal in the country but has shown promise for treating end-of-life anxiety in people with life-threatening cancers.
People were previously allowed to apply for exemptions to use psilocybin, but there was no framework for them to access professionally manufactured drugs. That meant they had to grow their own mushrooms or source the substance from an unlicensed dispensary.
6 terminally ill cancer patients in Canada received doses of the psychoactive substance found in 'magic' mushrooms after authorities eased rules
Psilocybin is illegal in Canada, but people can apply for exemptions for end-of-life anxiety.
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