St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is looking to position itself as one of the most progressive countries on the planet for psychedelic research.
The team at Microdose, the world’s biggest medical psychedelic conference, said the country’s move to permit Med Plant Science Ltd to produce psychedelic compounds makes it the first country to legalize all psychedelic medicine.
This was accomplished via the SVG Bureau of Standards creating a Scientific Research License that allows for the cultivation, processing, import/export of psychedelic compounds for medicinal purposes and scientific research.
Right now, the list applies to Psilocybin, Ketamine, Ibogaine, Ayahuasca, Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), Mescaline, 3-4 Methylenedioxy-Methamphetamine (MDMA), Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD), 5-Methoxy-N, N-Dimethyltrypotomine (5-MeO-DMT), Turmeric, Aloe Vera, Papaya, Arrowroot, Soursop, Coconut, Ginger, Moringa, Iboga, Sassafras, and Peyote. With all the money being thrown at psychedelics at the moment, as new promising compounds come to light in the years to come it probably wouldn’t be too hard to get them added to the list.
If everything works out in the production and research phase, there is a clause in the license that will allow it to be expanded to clinical trials. The eventual trials would target PTSD, addiction, alcoholism, depression, and anxiety. This would add to the wave of research beginning in the U.S. and Europe.
Med Plant Science’s CEO Angus Taylor weighed in on the news when announcing the company’s success.
“This license enables research to demonstrate psychedelic compounds are safe and effective medicines,” Taylor said. “It’s our goal to advance disruptive technologies and support novel treatment centers within the psychedelics space.”
In addition to the moves made in SVG, Taylor said the company has many compelling partnerships in the works they believe will push the rapidly developing psychedelic medicine space further. “We are engaged in discussions with different partners who share our commitment and vision to develop innovative medical solutions to mental health challenges. I’ll speak about these developments in the coming weeks as we continue to advance our biotech business thesis,” he said.
Hon. Saboto Caesar is SVG’s Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Transformation, Industry & Labour. Caesar noted he was excited to see the deal with Med Plant Science come together given where it places the country in the global development arena.
Caesar argued the whole thing is driven by science, and he hopes that science coming to SVG will bring with it scientists, researchers, academics and students from around the world.
It’s also a safe bet to presume those getting lined up for the future in SVG are also looking down the road to eventual exports. Just last month the country sent its first shipment of 110 kilos of medical cannabis to Germany. It took four years for cannabis to get to that point after the medical program that licenses legal providers kicked off in 2018.
Caesar also hinted at all this last month when he was speaking on cannabis exports to Reuters noting, “St. Vincent and the Grenadines is ready for global business in the Medicinal Wellness Industry space.” At the time, Caesar said both cannabis and psychedelics are very much a part of that wider plan.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines Legalizes Psychedelic Medicine
COMPANY PRESS RELEASE
CALGARY, AB, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ – Calgary-based biotech company, Med Plant Science Ltd, has been awarded a license for medicinal plants containing psychedelic compounds by the St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) Bureau of Standards. The Scientific Research License allows for cultivation, processing, import/export of psychedelic compounds for medicinal purposes and scientific research. It applies to the following compounds: Psilocybin, Ketamine, Ibogaine, Ayahuasca, Dimethyltryptamine(DMT), Mescaline, 3-4 Methylenedioxy-Methamphetamine(MDMA), Lysergic Acid Diethylamide(LSD), 5-Methoxy-N,N-Dimethyltrypotomine(5-MeO-DMT), Turmeric, Aloe Vera, Papaya, Arrowroot, Soursop, Coconut, Ginger, Moringa, Iboga, Sassafras, and Peyote.
Upon completion of the research stage, the License is expandable to allow Med Plant Science to offer access to clinical treatment facilities using psychedelics for mental health disorders including: PTSD, addiction, alcoholism, depression and anxiety. Med Plant Science is also excited to announce a partnership with HIVE.bio, a global network of next generation mental health centres specializing in psychedelic assisted psychotherapy. This unique partnership will accelerate the introduction of world-class psychedelic therapy to SVG.
Med Plant Science CEO, Angus Taylor, commented “This License enables research to demonstrate psychedelic compounds are safe and effective medicines. It’s our goal to advance disruptive technologies and support novel treatment centers within the psychedelics space.” Mr. Taylor suggested the company has been quietly working hard in the background to advance its positioning in the psychedelic space but to expect a stream of announcements over the coming weeks. “We are engaged in discussions with different partners who share our commitment and vision to develop innovative medical solutions to mental health challenges. I’ll speak about these developments in the coming weeks as we continue to advance our biotech business thesis.”
Hon. Saboto Caesar, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Transformation, Industry & Labour of St. Vincent and the Grenadines expressed his support for the company’s presence in SVG, as well as his anticipation for the country’s favorable positioning and future in the psychedelic industry. He maintains that “a Modern Medicinal Industry begins and ends with Science.” He further indicated that the psychedelic industry will provide a fertile ground attractive to scientists, researchers, academics and students from around the world. He congratulates and wishes Med Plant Science Ltd. the very best in their quest to participate in the psychedelic industry in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Supported by the mounting evidence, researchers believe psychedelics have amazing potential as new novel medications to treat many mental health conditions. Often, patient outcomes significantly improve compared to traditional pharmaceuticals and/or psychotherapy with respect to mood, focus, cravings, creativity, and overall mental health.
