Kratina, Sarah, Schwartz, Robert, Strike, Carol, Lo, Chris, and Rush, Brian (2026) Examining the perspectives of key stakeholders on the problems, policies, and politics regarding accessing psychedelic interventions to alleviate end-of-life distress. Politics & Policy, 54 (1). e70108.

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Abstract

Psychedelic interventions are not publicly available through Canada's healthcare system. Despite growing scientific evidence, public interest, and efforts to expand access to psychedelic therapies for end-of-life psychological suffering, Canadian policies remain restrictive. Efforts are underway to expand access, but knowledge gaps exist regarding the policy landscape in Canada. This study examines the barriers and facilitators to accessing therapeutic psychedelic interventions in an end-of-life context in Canada. Fifty-one stakeholders were interviewed, and thematic analysis was supplemented with legal documents and government communications from stakeholders. This multi-province study found that stakeholders described end-of-life distress as insufficiently addressed by current interventions. They discussed psychedelic therapies as a potential option, whereas some noted limited and evolving evidence, and there were heterogeneous views on appropriateness and safety. Current federal regulations provide limited access to psychedelic interventions for end-of-life distress, amidst incremental regulatory changes and political caution. Notably, provincial efforts in Alberta and Québec demonstrate progress: Alberta adjusted provincial regulations and third-party insurance coverage, whereas Québec covered family physician costs for administering and monitoring psychedelic interventions. Sociopolitical factors, notably the judicial process and underground market, may significantly influence policy development in this area. Although the problem, policy, and politics streams have partially merged, political-barriers remain significant.

Item ID:	90247
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	1747-1346
Copyright Information:	This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non- commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made. © 2026 The Author(s). Politics & Policy published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Policy Studies Organization.
Date Deposited:	28 Jan 2026 01:28
FoR Codes:	44 HUMAN SOCIETY > 4407 Policy and administration > 440706 Health policy @ 100%
SEO Codes:	20 HEALTH > 2004 Public health (excl. specific population health) > 200409 Mental health @ 100%
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