Background: Ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)) has a relatively low harm and low dependence liability but is scheduled on List I of the Dutch Opium Act ('hard drugs'). Concerns surrounding increasing MDMA-related criminality coupled with the possibly inappropriate scheduling of MDMA initiated a debate to revise the current Dutch ecstasy policy.
Methods: An interdisciplinary group of 18 experts on health, social harms and drug criminality and law enforcement reformulated the science-based Dutch MDMA policy using multi-decision multi-criterion decision analysis (MD-MCDA). The experts collectively formulated policy instruments and rated their effects on 25 outcome criteria, including health, criminality, law enforcement and financial issues, thematically grouped in six clusters.
Results: The experts scored the effect of 22 policy instruments, each with between two and seven different mutually exclusive options, on 25 outcome criteria. The optimal policy model was defined by the set of 22 policy instrument options which gave the highest overall score on the 25 outcome criteria. Implementation of the optimal policy model, including regulated MDMA sales, decreases health harms, MDMA-related organised crime and environmental damage, as well as increases state revenues and quality of MDMA products and user information. This model was slightly modified to increase its political feasibility. Sensitivity analyses showed that the outcomes of the current MD-MCDA are robust and independent of variability in weight values.
Conclusion: The present results provide a feasible and realistic set of policy instrument options to revise the legislation towards a rational MDMA policy that is likely to reduce both adverse (public) health risks and MDMA-related criminal burden.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8155737 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0269881120981380 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
MDMA and MDMA-Assisted Therapy.
Am J Psychiatry
January 2025
Directorate of Behavioral Health, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD (Wolfgang); Departments of Psychiatry (Wolfgang) and Medical and Clinical Psychology (Gray), Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD; Departments of Psychiatry (Wolfgang, Krystal), Neuroscience (Krystal), and Psychology (Krystal), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Center for Psychedelic Research and Therapy, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School (Fonzo, Nemeroff); Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA (Grzenda); Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis (Widge); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham (Kraguljac); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta (McDonald); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University and Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA (Rodriguez).
Article Synopsis
- MDMA, also known as Ecstasy or Molly, has been used since the 1970s for both recreational and therapeutic purposes, with the FDA recognizing its potential for treating PTSD as a Breakthrough Therapy in 2017.
- The effects of MDMA in therapeutic settings are distinct, promoting trust and self-compassion while allowing cognitive clarity, which differentiates it from other psychedelics.
- Preliminary evidence indicates that MDMA-Assisted Therapy is effective, with 67%-71% of PTSD patients no longer meeting diagnostic criteria after treatment, significantly more than those receiving placebo therapy.
Knowledge, attitudes, and concerns about psilocybin and MDMA as novel therapies among U.S. healthcare professionals.
Sci Rep
November 2024
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Article Synopsis
- Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) with substances like psilocybin and MDMA shows potential for treating depression and PTSD, with possible approval as medicines within the next decade.
- A study involving 879 U.S. healthcare professionals found most respondents had strong belief in the therapeutic benefits of these substances, but exhibited low knowledge about their risks and uses.
- Factors such as prior psychedelic use, greater self-rated knowledge, younger age, and specific professional roles influenced openness to using these therapies, highlighting the need for more training and education on the topic.
Exploring the substitution of cannabis for alcohol and other drugs among a large convenience sample of people who use cannabis.
Harm Reduct J
November 2024
SHORE & Whariki Research Centre, College of Health, Massey University, PO Box 6137, Victoria Street West, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.
Background: The substitution of cannabis for alcohol and other drugs has been conceptualised in a harm reduction framework as where cannabis is used to reduce the negative side-effects, addiction potential, and social stigma of other drugs. There is currently mixed evidence with recent reviews suggesting cannabis co-use patterns may vary by age and ethnicity. Yet few studies have had large enough samples to examine this demographic variation in detail.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTreatment patterns and characteristics of patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A retrospective claims analysis among commercially insured population.
PLoS One
November 2024
Lykos Therapeutics, San Jose, CA, United States of America.
Objective: This retrospective claims analysis explored the treatment utilization and characteristics among patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) of different severity.
Methods: The index date was the first PTSD claim. The analysis observed 12 months pre- and 24 months post-index.
Critical appraisal of evidence supporting prescription of psychedelics from clinic websites in Ontario, Canada.
PLoS One
October 2024
MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Psychedelics, including ketamine, 3,4-Methyl enedioxy methamphetamine (MDMA), and psilocybin, have gained attention for their potential therapeutic role in mental health treatment. While recreational use is prohibited in Canada, medicinal exemptions can be granted. There are several psychedelic clinics in Ontario, Canada, promoting the use of psychedelics for a variety of medical indications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!