By Ameer Morshed and Finn Laslett
In 2025, DSPL published 21 articles with contributions from 86 different authors, with reviews and original research covering psychedelics, cannabis and harm reduction. This report will summarise the major themes and key findings covered in the journal this year.
The psychedelic-assisted therapy landscape is changing rapidly
The clinical evidence for the use of MDMA and psilocybin continues to accumulate. Work overseen by Lykos Therapeutics demonstrated significant reductions in severe, treatment-resistant PTSD with MDMA-assisted therapy, and suggests potential indications for Alcohol Use Disorder and conflict-related trauma 1. Meanwhile, Drug Science researchers showed that psilocybin-assisted therapy is more effective than conventional treatments in terms of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and is cost-effective within the NHS system 2.
Elsewhere in the UK, the Cambridge Psychedelics Research Group launched its first psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) trials 3, and the government is supporting a plan to exempt universities and hospitals from Home Office licensing for Schedule 1 drugs like MDMA and psilocybin 4. We’ve also seen that 68% of UK adults would give terminally ill patients access to PAT, a subject falling under the new End of Life Bill 5. Finally, new changes mean that only S-Ketamine is now recommended for clinical use, with the Royal College of Psychiatrists cautioning against “jumping ahead of evidence” 6.
Overseas, Australia became the first country to reschedule MDMA and psilocybin for medical use, and is now funding PAT for veterans 7. In New Zealand, the first license has been granted for the prescription of psilocybin, and efforts are underway to reverse the historical disruption of Indigenous psychedelic practices 8. Germany is now the first EU country to license psilocybin under a ‘compassionate use’ programme for TRD 9, and Ukraine is considering rescheduling psychedelics for medical research purposes in light of the explosion in psychiatric diagnoses due to the ongoing war10.
New applications and opportunities in the cannabis sector
UK studies have shown that cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) are effective for treating insomnia11 and as a therapy-adjunct for OCD12. We’ve also seen the London Drugs Commission recommend decriminalising the personal possession of cannabis and moving natural cannabis to the less restrictive Psychoactive Substances Act 201613. As always, the risks must also be acknowledged. New research suggests driving with THC in the blood makes you 1.1–1.7x more likely to cause a crash14, and in Japan, a study found that some individuals smoke cannabis to deal with stress in preference to alcohol15.
Criminalisation continues to harm drug users
A Drug Science review proposed two novel mechanisms: the forbidden fruit reactance effect and the violence victimisation dynamic 16. In Ireland, research showed that stigma and prejudice towards people who use drugs (PWUD) remain major barriers to treatment access 17, while in Canada, Bill 223 has halted the expansion of safer supply programmes and closed multiple supervised sites in favour of abstinence-only services, a move widely criticised by public health experts 18. Finally, we published a report cautioning against a politically-motivated reclassification of ketamine, despite rising use among young people 19.
We reported on several new harm reduction interventions this year. The UK’s first safer consumption facility has opened in Glasgow 20, and following deaths last year, festivals such as Boomtown are expanding drug checking and education services 21. In Norway, the Huset Bergen housing model illustrates how high-tolerance services can promote dignity, stability, and social inclusion 22. Nonetheless, the need for innovation in overdose prevention remains urgent, particularly in the US, where the complexity of naloxone deployment reflects the scale of the opioid crisis 23.
New public health concerns have emerged worldwide this year. Cases of dependence have been reported due to opioid-containing tea made from unwashed poppy seeds (UPS), increasingly popular with the Punjabi population living in West London 24. Early evidence from British Columbia suggests that while decriminalising possession of small amounts of drugs has benefits, continued police seizures of drugs may be contributing to a more unpredictable and toxic supply 25. Finally, public health analysts have criticised the extrapolation of acute vascular responses to nicotine into claims that vaping is as harmful as smoking, highlighting the danger of misinterpreting preliminary data 26. We also highlighted how the historical suppression of Indigenous knowledge and the War on Drugs have combined to force small-scale farmers in the Global South into cycles of criminality 27.
This summary was compiled from publicly available information on the Drug Science journal (SAGE Publications) as of the knowledge cutoff date. Follow the links in the inline citations for detailed methodology and findings.
References
1. O’Brien, S. & Nutt, D. MDMA-assisted therapy: challenges, clinical trials, and the future of MDMA in treating behavioral disorders. CNS Spectrums 30, e15 (2025).
2. McCrone, P. et al. Cost-effectiveness of psilocybin-assisted therapy for severe depression: exploratory findings from a decision analytic model. Psychological Medicine 53, 7619–7626 (2023).
3. Ragnhildstveit, A. Cambridge officially launches research group to advance psychedelic-assisted therapy for mental health. Drug Science https://www.drugscience.org.uk/cambridge-psychedelic-launch (2025).
4. Neill, J. C., James Bunn and Prof Jo. UK Government supports ACMD plan to enable research with schedule 1 medicines such as psilocybin and MDMA. Drug Science https://www.drugscience.org.uk/uk-government-supports-acmd-plan (2025).
5. Quigley, P. J. N., Dr Laura Downey, and Professor Muireann. Easing End-of-Life Distress: Should Psychedelic Therapy Be Part of Palliative Care in the UK? Drug Science https://www.drugscience.org.uk/easing-end-of-life-distress-psychedelic-uk (2025).
6. Faulkner, I. Royal College of Psychiatrists call for more research into psychedelics for medical use. Drug Science https://www.drugscience.org.uk/royal-college-of-psychiatrists-psychedelic (2025).
7. Faulkner, I. Australian government funds psychedelic assisted therapy for veterans in a global leading decision. Drug Science https://www.drugscience.org.uk/australian-government-funds-psychedelic-assisted-therapy-for-veterans-in-a-global-leading-decision (2025).
8. Bunn, J. Innovating through tradition: kava-talanoa as a culturally aligned medico-behavioral therapeutic approach to amelioration of PTSD symptoms. Drug Science https://www.drugscience.org.uk/kava-ptsd (2025).
9. Bunn, J. Germany Pioneers Compassionate Psilocybin Access for Treatment-Resistant Depression in EU First. Drug Science https://www.drugscience.org.uk/germany-compassionate-psilocybin (2025).
10. Bunn, J. Ukraine Opens the Door to Psychedelic Research: A First Legal Framework Emerges. Drug Science https://www.drugscience.org.uk/ukraine-psychedelic-research (2025).
11. Lynskey, M. T., Athanasiou-Fragkouli, A., Thurgur, H., Schlag, A. K. & Nutt, D. J. Changes in sleep quality among patients prescribed medicinal cannabis: Real-world evidence from Project Twenty 21. Drug Science, Policy and Law 11, 20503245251362491 (2025).
12. Lynskey, M. T. et al. Medicinal Cannabis Use Among People with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Changes in Quality of Life After Three Months. Psychoactives 4, (2025).
13. Bunn, J. London Drugs Commission’s Recommendations: A Step Forward in Cannabis Policy. Drug Science https://www.drugscience.org.uk/london-drugs-commission-cannabis (2025).
14. Albrecht, M. A., Hasan, R., Kekez, D. & Zhou, H. Dose-response relationship between blood concentrations of THC and crash culpability risk: An updated meta-regression of culpability studies. Drug Science, Policy and Law 11, 20503245251323344 (2025).
15. Matsumoto, D. H., Yuji Masataka, Naoko Miki, Yoshiyuki Akahoshi, Ichiro Takumi and Toshihiko. Why do you smoke cannabis? Qualitative interviews of Japanese cannabis users. Drug Science https://www.drugscience.org.uk/japan-cannabis (2025).
16. Grahl Johnstad, P. Does drug criminalization increase harmful drug use? A scoping review of underlying mechanisms. Drug Science, Policy and Law 11, 20503245251348260 (2025).
17. Miller, N. M., Campbell, C. & Shorter, G. W. The role of prejudice and prior contact in support for evidence-based interventions to reduce drug-related deaths: A mixed methods study. Drug Science, Policy and Law 11, 20503245251334970 (2025).
18. Ali, F. et al. The erosion of safer supply programs in Ontario, Canada: A dangerous step backward. Drug Science, Policy and Law 11, 20503245251352845 (2025).
19. Morgan, A. K. S., David Nutt and Celia. Response to ACMD Ketamine Harms Assessment. Drug Science https://www.drugscience.org.uk/response-to-ketamine-harms-assessment (2025).
20. Dalgarno, P. & O’Rawe, S. The Glasgow drug consumption room: A job half done? Drug Science, Policy and Law 10, 20503245241295382 (2024).
21. Teasdill, F. M. and W. What can Boomtown 2025 teach us about responding to drug use? Drug Science https://www.drugscience.org.uk/boomtown-drug-policy-2025 (2025).
22. Southwell, M. Help us raise funds for people who use drugs. Drug Science https://www.drugscience.org.uk/help-us-raise-funds-for-people-who-use-drugs (2025).
23. Teasdill, F. M. and W. Losing the innovation footrace: Refining regulations in the creation of overdose reversal technology within the United States. Drug Science https://www.drugscience.org.uk/overdose-reversal-technology (2025).
24. Viqar, U., Stanton, N., Galaiya, R., Shah, H. & Fehler, J. Poppy seed addiction: A brewing crisis? A novel case series examining patterns, perceptions and potential risks associated with excessive poppy seed use. Drug Science, Policy and Law 11, 20503245251319484 (2025).
25. Singh Kelsall, T., Godfrey, D. & McDermid, J. Probing trends of opioid seizures and drug checking samples under a nascent “decriminalization” framework in Vancouver, Canada. Drug Science, Policy and Law 11, 20503245251337361 (2025).
26. Irresponsible publicity related to an unpublished vaping study. The Counterfactual https://clivebates.com/papers-and-letters/irresponsible-publicity-related-to-an-unpublished-vaping-study/ (2025).
27. McDermid, T. S. K., Dustin Godfrey and Jenn. Controlled Substances, Controlled People: How Drug Laws Reinforce Colonial Power Structures. Drug Science https://www.drugscience.org.uk/controlled-substances-controlled-people (2025).
