Episode 422: Psychedelic drugs and the future of psychiatry

Welcome back to The Big Trip, our series on psychedelic drugs and the future of psychiatry.

A renaissance in psychedelic drug research is underway.

Around the world, researchers are studying psychedelic drug therapy as a treatment for everything from PTSD and treatment-resistant depression to cigarette addiction.

To date, many of the studies have been preliminary, with small sample sizes.

But experts say MDMA and psilocybin better known as ecstasy and the key ingredient in magic mushrooms could be available for prescription use within the next five years.

And mental health advocates and industry players alike are taking notice.

Listen to the radio show above and check out our special online feature to meet some of the people whose lives have already been transformed by psychedelic drug therapy.