The Central European country becomes the third in the world, after Switzerland and Australia, to open the door to psychedelic treatments.
Last Friday, the Parliament of the Czech Republic approved—by an overwhelming majority—the use of psilocybin for the treatment of mental health conditions such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse. The Central European country becomes the third in the world, after Switzerland and Australia, to give the green light to these innovative—yet ancient—treatments for mental health.
The Czech Chamber of Deputies has enacted a major reform of the criminal code, introducing measures that represent a historic shift in the country’s drug policy. Among the changes are the limited legalization of cannabis cultivation and possession for personal use, and the authorization of therapeutic use of psilocybin. The proposal now moves to the Senate for consideration and is expected to come into effect in January 2026.
A model for Europe
The news was first shared by Tadeusz Hawrot, founder and executive director of PAREA, an organization that has been promoting psychedelic policy reform in the European Parliament and other EU institutions for the past two years.
“This is a historic and hugely important development. It could bring hope to some of the 700,000 people in the Czech Republic living with depression and anxiety – particularly those for whom other treatments haven’t worked,” wrote Hawrot on LinkedIn.
“What the Czech model could offer is not wide, unrestricted access, but the possibility of a carefully staged, medically supervised rollout – one that balances patient need with safety and professional oversight. It’s a pragmatic, responsible step forward that could inform future regulation and serve as a reference point for other EU countries, while also generating much-needed real-world data on the safety, efficacy, and practical implementation of psychedelic therapies,” concludes the PAREA director.
Psychedelic Czechoslovakia
The Czech Republic is no stranger to the psychedelic revolution. In the 1960s, under Soviet puppet rule and known as Czechoslovakia, the country (including today’s Slovakia) was a pioneer in therapeutic LSD research. The little-known story of the collaboration between Sandoz and a group of psychiatrists in Prague—including the renowned Stanislav Grof—has been chronicled in this fascinating article by MIT Press.
Upcoming: The psychedelic mental health revolution at Fuertedélica
The psychedelic revolution in mental health will also be discussed at the next edition of Fuertedélica, taking place on November 7 and 8.
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Links:
–’Czech Republic authorizes cultivation of three cannabis plants and therapeutic use of psilocybin’, Canna Reporter, 2 de junio de 2025.
–’An Untold Story of LSD Psychotherapy in Communist Czechoslovakia’, MIT Press. 2023.
–’Bruselas mira hacia la terapia psicodélica para paliar la crisis de salud mental en Europa’, Plantaforma para la Defensa de la Ayahuasca, 3 de abril de 2023.
Journalist, director of the documentary series Voices of Ayahuasca, member of the Plantaforma for the Defense of Ayahuasca (www.plantaforma.org), co-organizer of Fuertedélica, and black belt in karaoke.