After years of very little pharmaceutical innovation in the treatment of mental illness, psychiatry is on the verge of something big: Psychedelic medicine is emerging as a game-changer.

The evidence of the efficacy of drugs like psilocybin (also known as magic mushrooms) and MDMA, used in conjunction with therapy for illnesses such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, is astounding. And society could use the help – the 2017-18 National Health Survey estimated that 1 in 5, or 4.8 million Australians reported having a mental or behavioural condition, and the impact of the pandemic has only exacerbated the issue.

But the sociopolitical atmosphere surrounding illegal drugs – including psychedelics – has made research and development a difficult proposition.

On a new episode of “What Happens Next?”, Susan Carland considers the political landscape surrounding drug legalisation, the cultural context of drug use, the science behind the mental health medication we already have – and what things will look like if we fail to engage in the “psychedelic renaissance.”

Today’s guests are Dan Lubman, Turning Point Director and Monash University Professor of Addiction Studies; Andrea Whittaker, Convenor of Anthropology in the Monash School of Social Sciences; Paul Liknaitsky, head of Monash University’s Clinical Psychedelic Research Lab; and Arthur Christopoulos, Dean of Monash University Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.