A history and future of psychedelics: The case of the Canadian military

In 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted breakthrough therapy status to 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) based partially on clinical trials with American Veterans. This drug, known popularly as ecstasy, generated better results for individuals suffering from PTSD than any other available therapies. Other trials focused on Veterans and those in active military service, alongside emerging studies with first responders, police officers, and people with complex trauma-based disorders. Although psychedelic drugs, especially psilocybin mushrooms and MDMA, are once again the subject of a variety of clinical trials that span beyond military medicine and PTSD, the connection between psychedelics and military health present particular challenges and opportunities when it comes to integrating psychedelics into the Canadian military health system. This article examines the history of psychedelics in Canada, underscoring the importance of how historical understandings of both military-based trauma and psychedelics influenced the reception of psychedelics as therapeutic options today.