Toward Responsible Psychedelic Medicine: A Qualitative Investigation of Perspectives from the Australian Psychedelic Research Community.

The use of psychedelic drugs as treatments for mental illness and addiction is receiving increasing scientific and public attention. This thesis explores the social dynamics influencing psychedelic medicine in Australia, through the perspectives of the research community. The findings illustrate that psychedelic medicine has engaged the interests of diverse groups, and been shaped by historical controversies and contemporary international progress. For many in the research community, psychedelic medicine represented an opportunity to usher in a more holistic view of mental health, but there were also pragmatic and systematic barriers to achieving its potentials.