Patients and Medical Professionals to Return to Ottawa in February to Defend their Right to Medical Psilocybin
Seeking compassionate access to psilocybin as a treatment for Canadians suffering from chronic disease, addiction and palliative depression and as a supplemental and/or alternative treatment to Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD)
Victoria, BC (January 11, 2022) – TheraPsil announced a delegation of patients and medical professionals from across Canada will appear in Ottawa this February. They travel to the nation’s capital for the second time to seek compassionate access to psilocybin for Canadian adults suffering from palliative depression, addiction, PTSD and chronic disease. The group hopes to continue to work with politicians to find an immediate resolution to the psilocybin Charter Challenge and to make psilocybin a viable, supplementary treatment and/or alternative for MAiD.
TheraPsil is a non-profit healthcare advocacy coalition with a mission to expand safe, equitable and legal access to psilocybin-assisted therapy for those in medical need. TheraPsil develops and delivers safe, simple and effective protocols for credentialed health professionals and organizations to provide psilocybin-assisted therapy.
Patients and medical professionals are working with parliamentarians to raise awareness about the medical benefits of psilocybin. TheraPsil has organized a public protest, a press conference and a public meeting, all of which will be held to educate the public and recommend a transparent regulatory approach to guide medical access to psilocybin.
Dates in Ottawa: Tuesday, February 10th – 17th, 2023
Press Conference: Tuesday, February 14th, Sir John A. MacDonald Building, 144 Wellington Street, Room 100 (11 am -12 pm)
Public Event: Wednesday, February 15th, Time/Location TBA
Demonstration of Love & Support: Thursday, February 16th, Parliament Hill Front Lawn, (4pm EST)
Contact: spencer@therapsil.ca
Media, elected officials, staff, sector leaders, patients and healthcare professionals are invited to attend the special event. In addition to TheraPsil representatives, participants will include:
- Healthcare professionals that have prescribed psilocybin as a treatment for patients
- Canadians suffering from chronic disease that have received a medical exemption to possess psilocybin
- Canadians suffering from chronic disease that have been denied legal access to possess psilocybin for medical purposes
- Lawyers representing Canadians that have been denied medical access
More activities will be announced over the coming days.
TheraPsil CEO Spencer Hawkswell:
With the worsening overdose crisis, MAiD expansion, and our experience facilitating psilocybin treatment to over 130 patients in three years, we hope the Federal Health Minister and other elected officials will provide vulnerable Canadians and health professionals with the right to try this effective natural treatment option.”
Special thanks to the organizations who supported the patients and doctors attending the lobby week:
Filament Health, Apex Labs, Cybin Therapeutics, ConsciousMind Clinic, LongTermGevity, Toronto Psychedelic Community & Gathering Groups
Read more about the November Lobby Week events from media coverage:
Mugglehead: Psilocybin advocates protest in Ottawa demanding fair medical access
Microdose: Protests in Ottawa for Access to Psychedelic Medicine
Capital Daily: Victoria non-profit rallies in Ottawa for better access to psilocybin
GrowthOp: ‘We’re trying to live, yet it’s easier to access medically-assisted death in Canada’
Benzinga: Canada: Psychedelics Delegation Will Confront Federal Health Ministers, Toronto Magic Mushrooms Shop
Media Contact
John Gilchrist
john@therapsil.ca
All other inquiries
Spencer Hawkswell, CEO, TheraPsil
spencer@therapsil.ca
