In recent years, the field of mental health treatment has witnessed a revolutionary approach with the emergence of psychedelic-assisted therapies. Because of its status as a controlled substance, ketamine-assisted therapy is at the forefront of this movement, with MDMA and psilocybin close on its tail. Once again, Alberta is proving to be a leader of innovation in Canada, with ketamine producers, clinics, and trained physicians ready to administer this life-changing treatment. To get you up to speed, let’s examine the legal framework, major players, therapeutic benefits, and challenges/opportunities that ketamine-assisted therapy offers to Albertans and the public at large.
The Legal Framework
Ketamine has historically been used in the medical field as an anesthetic and pain management medication. However, its potential for mental health treatment has led to a re-evaluation of its legal status in Canada. Currently, ketamine is a controlled substance listed under Schedule I of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, meaning its use and distribution are strictly regulated to medical purposes. One of the main benefits of the emergence of ketamine-assisted therapy is that it is already in the hands of physicians, unlike related substances like MDMA and psilocybin.
Leaders of Ketamine Therapy in Alberta
In Alberta, a few groups have committed themselves to make this treatment accessible to the public. Applied Pharmaceutical Innovations (API) possesses a dealing license that includes ketamine, positioning them as a potential key player to get this drug to market. With rising demand, clinics have discovered a ketamine shortage over the last two years. API has the ability to manufacture and deal in these controlled substances to support the demand that clinics are experiencing.
SABI Mind is one of these clinics, currently operating out of Calgary with two more clinics opening soon in Edmonton and Victoria. A ketamine experience typically lasts 1-2 hours, and treatments are accompanied by a trained staff of physicians and psychologists to ensure the patient will be safe and cared for throughout the session.
James Mulholland, a SABI Mind patient is currently halfway through his treatment and is already reaping the rewards.
“It has been quite a profound experience and I think it can be helpful to a lot of people”, says James. On having a psychedelic experience in a clinic setting, James adds “I feel very comfortable with everyone that was there, I feel very safe. I’ve never done ketamine recreationally and after this I don’t want to because the experience of a clinic has been so great. To me it took a lot of the stress out of it. I would recommend it to anybody.”
Like so many others, James is finding solace in the relief from symptoms with ketamine that other treatments simply cannot provide. So why are ketamine, and other psychedelics, so effective?
Benefits of Ketamine-Assisted Therapy
Technically speaking, ketamine isn’t a psychedelic at all – at least not in the classical sense. Ketamine is a dissociative drug that inhibits certain brain receptors instead of activating them. Like MDMA it allows subjects to ‘un-identify’ with their problems and examine themselves more from a third party lens. In a therapeutic setting, this is effective for treating a condition like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
By detaching from these painful memories, patients are able to sit and talk about their traumatic events without experiencing the intense emotions that come with them. This has proven to be an effective way for the patients to process events that, without the use of a tool like ketamine, would be difficult – if not impossible – to talk about at all.
For similar reasons, ketamine-assisted therapy can offer relief for people dealing with:
- Depression
- Anxiety Disorders
- Bipolar Disorder
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Chronic Pain
One of the most notable advantages of ketamine-assisted therapy is its ability to provide rapid relief from symptoms. Many individuals experience improvements within hours or days, as opposed to weeks or months with traditional treatments. It has shown efficacy in cases where other treatments have failed, offering hope to those with treatment-resistant mental health conditions.
What’s Next?
Like any emerging field, ketamine- and psychedelic-assisted therapy have challenges and opportunities on the horizon. The largest challenges lay in regulatory hurdles of sourcing and administering these substances. Adhering to strict regulatory frameworks can be cumbersome for practitioners, which can limit accessibility for patients in need. Many individuals are also still unfamiliar with ketamine-assisted therapy, and there can be misconceptions about its safety and efficacy. With treatments priced upwards of $1500 per session, cost is another barrier for the public. Like therapy and other remedies for mental health, the associated costs restrict access to those people who need it most.
Opportunity exists because these tools are needed. As COVID-19 brought forced isolation upon us, we saw mental health issues skyrocket. It no longer was an issue we could continue to sweep under the rug. Ketamine and similar substances provide tools for the liberation of this suffering where others have failed.
Since the pandemic and the mental health crisis, we’ve seen the Canadian government make strides in support for mental health, such as $12.2M invested in mental health promotion. The creation of a comprehensive medical access regulatory framework for psychedelic-assisted treatments would have an enormous benefit to the country as a whole. With this insight and our expertise in regulatory environments with other controlled substances, Diplomat is poised to be another advocate to bring these treatments to the masses.
