New Brunswick To: Hon. Sherry Wilson Minister of Addictions and Mental Health Services New Brunswick Legislator Fredericton, NB Via Email: Sherry.Wilson@gnb.ca CC: Bruce.Fitch@gnb.ca, spencer@therapsil.ca Dear Minister Wilson, I trust this letter finds you well and focused on your crucial responsibilities. I want to express my appreciation for your continued dedication to advancing mental health and addiction initiatives within our province. Your commitment to these critical matters is both commendable and reassuring. Today, I write to you with a proposal that holds the potential to bring about significant positive change for the residents of New Brunswick who are grappling with mental health and addiction challenges. I urge you to consider allocating provincial resources toward expanding access to controlled and supervised psilocybin treatment, alongside robust research trials to explore its therapeutic benefits. In recent times, both on the global stage and within Canada, there has been a notable shift in recognizing the potential therapeutic value of psilocybin-assisted therapy. For instance, Australia's decision to remove psilocybin from its list of controlled substances, allowing its prescription for treatment-resistant depression, represents a pivotal moment in acknowledging its potential benefits. Building upon these advancements, I propose that New Brunswick seize the opportunity to embrace safe and supervised psilocybin-assisted therapy. Canada's precedent-setting move in 2020, which granted legal exemptions for psilocybin treatment, marked a significant step in recognizing its potential benefits. Since then, hundreds have received exemptions, and numerous healthcare professionals have expressed keen interest in specialized training within this emerging field. Encouragingly, within our own country, substantial progress has been made. Just last year, Alberta took the lead as the first Canadian jurisdiction to regulate the therapeutic use of psychedelic substances, showcasing our province's commitment to pioneering progress. Additionally, the establishment of a research chair at the University of Calgary dedicated to studying the potential of psychedelics in enhancing mental health, particularly in addressing PTSD, underscores our dedication to advancing this field. Furthermore, Quebec's initiative to fund doctors for psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy following legal access in December 2022 is a testament to the momentum building in this realm. Even private insurers, such as Blue Cross, have acknowledged the importance of extending coverage for these treatments. These promising developments are reinforced by recent clinical trials. Notably, a substantial trial investigating psilocybin's impact on depression, conducted across 22 sites in North America, Europe, and the UK, reported that nearly one-third of patients experienced rapid remission following a 25mg dose combined with therapy sessions. This progress has garnered enthusiasm from influential figures, including the former chair of the UK's COVID vaccine task force. Additionally, New York University published research last year documenting significant reductions in alcohol dependence when subjects combined psilocybin and psychotherapy. These positive results, and many others, build on a landmark 2016 trial by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine which found increases in quality of life and decreases in death anxiety continued six months after psilocybin-assisted therapy for 41 of 51 participants. Given these promising trends, a critical question emerges: Why is New Brunswick not at the forefront of this transformative movement? Janis Hughes, a stage 4 cancer patient who was forced to go underground due to the barriers to access posed by the SAP, put it this way “If I had not gone underground for treatment, I might well have exercised my right to MAiD by now.” . TheraPsil brought Janis’s case and others to the Committee on MAiD, which recommended that Health Canada review the Special Access Program (SAP) and policies to determine ways to improve access to psilocybin. A pressing concern is the cost associated with accessing psilocybin through SAP, which can be as high as $7,000, compounded by the absence of provincial coverage. In contrast, individuals under New Brunswick's health insurance plan receive comprehensive coverage for medications related to MAiD. This discrepancy sends a perplexing message to New Brunswick residents exploring alternatives like psilocybin as an adjunct or alternative therapy. In light of the ongoing overdose crisis and the persistent mental health and addiction challenges, why has this safe, plant-based therapeutic option not received the attention it warrants? Are we genuinely exhausting all avenues to address these critical issues? While various provinces and cities, including Britain Columbia and Toronto, advocate for the decriminalization of hard drugs under section 56, it is worth considering the potential of safe psilocybin use as an initial step. Unlike substances such as heroin and cocaine, psilocybin is deemed physiologically safe by the US National Institutes of Health, devoid of dependence or addiction risks. Recent affirmations from Health Canada also underscore that supervised psilocybin treatment does not endanger public safety. The proliferation of magic mushroom dispensaries in New Brunswick underscores the need for careful consideration by the provincial government. While illicit suppliers continue their activities, the province's commitment to legal and potentially life-transforming psilocybin treatments remains uncertain. I urge you to approach this matter with the gravity it demands, exploring regulated options that prioritize the well-being and safety of our residents. By earmarking resources to facilitate safe SAP access to psilocybin under the supervision of healthcare professionals, we may be able to curtail reliance on these illicit sources. Aligned with your government's steadfast dedication to addressing concurrent public health challenges, I appeal to you to take tangible steps that will enhance the lives of countless New Brunswick residents, offer a safer alternative to harmful controlled substances, and reaffirm our province's leadership in this emerging wellness arena. This is an opportunity that demands leadership, and I firmly believe in your commitment to these crucial matters. Therefore, I propose that your Ministry engage in active collaboration with TheraPsil, other non-profit organizations, patients, care providers, licensed New Brunswick psilocybin producers, and researchers to invest in a comprehensive psilocybin treatment and research strategy for our province. This strategy should encompass the following components: * Facilitating psilocybin-assisted treatment for a minimum of 400 eligible New Brunswick residents within the next year. * Enabling the participation of at least 200 eligible New Brunswick residents in applied research trials over the next 12-18 months. The estimated combined investment required for these two facets of New Brunswick's psilocybin strategy is approximately $6 million over the next 12-18 months – equivalent to $10,000 per patient. This projection does not account for the potential cost savings achieved by replacing costly ongoing pharmaceutical interventions with a safe, plant-based treatment that often necessitates only one session for success in many cases. For New Brunswick residents seeking psilocybin as an alternative or adjunct to MAiD, the program's cost is marginal when juxtaposed with the value of alleviating suffering. Furthermore, these compassionate investments represent a mere fraction of the $3.6 billion in federal funding allocated to New Brunswick for mental health and addiction initiatives over the next decade. This funding was jointly announced by the federal and provincial governments earlier this year. In the forthcoming days, we intend to present detailed proposals that offer a deeper understanding of these requests and pave the way for ensuing discussions. These proposals are underpinned by two years of project modelling, developed in collaboration with researchers, doctors, care providers, and advocates. As part of this submission, I kindly request an opportunity to meet with you and your officials during the summer to delve into these matters further. Thank you in advance for considering these matters and for your ongoing dedication to the well-being of our province's residents. Your leadership has the potential to ignite meaningful change in the lives of many, and I am confident in your commitment to these vital endeavours. Sincerely, Your Name here