Quebec covers psilocybin therapy under medical insurance in historic first

The decision establishes a precedent for how to regulate the substance for the rest of Canada, and potentially other countries. 

Quebec became the first province to cover psilocybin-assisted therapy under medical insurance last week. This is further evidence for the medical benefits of psilocybin, the psychoactive compound in magic mushrooms, and a further step in the push to legalize psilocybin and other psychedelics. 

Psilocybin has shown tremendous potential in treating numerous conditions, including severe depression, alcohol and drug addiction, end-of-life anxiety, and more. Several magic mushroom stores have opened up in Canada and the US as of late—and have been subsequently shut down—showing the growing demand for psilocybin therapy. 

Quebec approves psilocybin therapy

Psilocybin is currently illegal in Canada, but physicians and researchers can apply to Health Canada for an exemption to allow them to study or prescribe psilocybin to specific individuals for medical reasons.  

Two doctors, Dr. Houman Farzin and Dr. Jean-François Stephan, treated a patient with psilocybin in June 2022, then successfully billed and received payment for their services by the province of Quebec, according to a press release from TheraPsil, a Canadian non-profit advocacy group for psilocybin therapy. 

Dr. Stephan argued for the medical benefit, safety, and efficacy of psilocybin in a letter, which was also signed by 15 other colleagues, to the governing body for general practitioners in Quebec—the Fédération des Médecins Omnipraticiens du Québec (FMOQ). The group then negotiated with the provincial government to amend the necessary legal codes to allow psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy to be covered by medical insurance.

Since Canada has universal healthcare, the psilocybin therapy was covered by the Quebec government, meaning that all Quebec residents could have access to psilocybin—and potentially all Canadians in the future—if deemed medically necessary for them. 

Psilocybin laws and access are lagging

Government recognition of the health benefits of psilocybin therapy is a huge step in the push to legalize the substance and other psychedelics, although these substances are still illegal at the federal level in both Canada and the US. 

“Quebec has chosen to align with the science in regards to psychedelic medicine,” said Dr. Stephan in a press release. “It’s encouraging to see them recognize the evidence available, and make the necessary adjustments to support the financial aspects of treatment so that it’s not an obstacle for patient access.”

In the United States, laws haven’t  caught up with demand for magic mushrooms. In Portland, OR, a shop selling magic mushrooms opened up a few weeks ago and had lines with wait times up to five hours. Magic mushroom shops in San Francisco and Toronto have also been incredibly popular, but all three were recently shut down. Another shop in Hamilton, Canada, was also shut down recently, only one day after it opened. 

These shops were open to the general public, a far cry from the medical clearance needed to obtain and administer psilocybin in the Quebec case, but the huge demand for psilocybin is unmistakable. Oregon will also have restrictions on buying psilocybin, and will not have stores open to the general public.

Access to psilocybin, even when legal, is still a huge concern in Oregon, which is set to open clinic doors in early 2023. Psilocybin sessions may cost as much as $1,000 or more per session, restricting therapy to wealthy patrons. This high price tag is likely due to the huge cost of training for facilitators, which is projected to be $10,000-20,000.

As with cannabis, psilocybin laws are messy right now. Regardless of these complications, the case in Quebec is a positive sign that governments are starting to accept the medical benefits of psilocybin and amending their laws to allow access to the substance for their citizens.

Pat Goggins

Pat Goggins is a senior editor who handles Leafly’s informational content and specializes in cannabis cultivation after working for a commercial grower in Oregon. When not fixing typos, you’ll probably find him on a boat or in the mountains.

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