Experiential Training & The Road to Psychedelic Drug Policy Reform in Canada

There’s an ongoing legal fight for access to psychedelics in Canada, including as part of experiential training for psychedelic therapists. But, is it really necessary to have a psychedelic experience in order to be a good psychedelic therapist? What is going on with Health Canada’s confusing response to the issue and where is psychedelic drug policy headed?

In this episode, we are joined by two leading voices in the national conversation: John Gilchrist, Director of Communications at TheraPsil, and Eugene Oscapella, lawyer, professor, and long-time drug policy reform advocate at the University of Ottawa. Together, they help us unpack the recent federal court ruling against Health Canada, the debate over experiential training for psychedelic therapists, and the parallels—and differences—between psychedelic policy today and cannabis reform in the past. Tune in to gain insight into the legal and political forces shaping Canada’s path towards evidence-based psychedelic care, and what a more compassionate, responsible regulatory framework might look like moving forward. 

Eugene Oscapella completed undergraduate studies in economics at the University of Toronto in 1974 and received his Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Ottawa in 1977. He obtained his Master of Laws degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1979. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 1980. Mr. Oscapella was associated with the Law Reform Commission of Canada for over 14 years and was the first chairman of that body's Drug Policy Group. Mr. Oscapella was a founding member of the Canadian Foundation for Drug Policy, an independent organization created in 1993 to examine Canada’s drug laws and policies. For several years he sat on the policy committee of the Canadian Criminal Justice Association and later sat on the steering and policy committees of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, formed in 2011. He has appeared many times before Canadian parliamentary committees on drug policy issues, including the Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs and the House of Commons Special Committee on the Non-medical Use of Drugs. He has lectured on drug policy issues in the Department of Criminology at the University of Ottawa for over a quarter century and has also lectured and been published widely in Canada and abroad about drug policy issues. In April 2011, he received the Kaiser Foundation National Award for Excellence in Public Policy for his drug policy reform work.

John Gilchrist is an ardent supporter of drug policy reform and believes the growing acceptance of psychedelics and psychedelic therapy marks a paradigm shift in the treatment of mental health. John was aware of the healing powers of psilocybin and other psychedelics but was truly blown away by a personal story from a patient in 2021. Since then, John has been focused on doing whatever possible to support the legalization of psychedelic therapy and to help change public perception towards it. He is honoured and privileged to support TheraPsil’s patients alongside such a professional and dedicated team.