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New Zealand approves use of MDMA to treat post-traumatic stress disorderPhoto by 天玑 不器 on Pexels
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New Zealand approves use of MDMA to treat post-traumatic stress disorder

oglobo4 September 2026 at 03:26

Two psychiatrists in New Zealand received authorization on this Friday to prescribe pharmaceutical-grade MDMA for people suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder. The decision was made by Medsafe, the country's pharmaceutical regulatory agency, making New Zealand the second country in the world to approve the use of this substance to treat PTSD, after Australia, which did the same in 2023.

The decision was announced by Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour, who last year also supported the approval of hallucinogenic mushrooms to treat people with severe depression. Seymour stated that PTSD ruins lives and is difficult to treat, and that MDMA can be very effective in treating the condition through substance-assisted therapy.

Seymour also declared that New Zealand is committed to expanding access to innovative treatments. The article mentions that MDMA is more potent than ecstasy, without providing more details about that comparison.

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