2018: A watershed year for psychedelic science

Interest in psychedelic drug research grew over the last decade, but 2018 marked a true turning point for the field, especially in the United States. That year saw substantive advances in scientific, public, and regulatory communities. Scientific progress came from impactful research applications and acknowledgment in top journals. Michael Pollan's book "How to Change Your Mind" became a commercial hit and spurred positive media coverage. Unprecedented psychedelic ballot initiatives reflected shifting public interest. Regulatory bodies began acknowledging psychedelic science in earnest, highlighted by the FDA granting psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy "breakthrough therapy" status for treatment-resistant depression. 2018 was a seminal year for psychedelic science.

Study at a glance

Abstract

While interest in the study of psychedelic drugs has increased over much of the last decade, in this article, we argue that 2018 marked the true turning point for the field. Substantive advances in the scientific, public, and regulatory communities in 2018 significantly elevated the status and long-term outlook of psychedelic science, particularly in the United States. Advances in the scientific community can be attributed to impactful research applications of psychedelics as well as acknowledgement in preeminent journals. In the public sphere, Michael Pollan’s book How to Change Your Mind was a commercial hit and spurred thought-provoking, positive media coverage on psychedelics. Unprecedented psychedelic ballot initiatives in the United States were representative of changes in public interest. Finally, regulatory bodies began to acknowledge psychedelic science in earnest in 2018, as evidenced by the designation of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy to “breakthrough therapy” status for treatment-resistant depression by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In short, 2018 was a seminal year for psychedelic science.