PsyCan Welcomes Bill C-286, Thomas’ Bill, to Create a Clearer Regulated Pathway for Medical Psilocybin Access
PsyCan, Canada’s medical psychedelics trade association, supports Bill C-286, introduced by MP Corey Tochor, to streamline regulated access to psilocybin and psilocin while preserving Health Canada’s drug approval process. The bill aims to address bureaucratic delays in current access programs, which have seen approval rates and timelines decline significantly, leaving patients like Thomas Hartle—who died fighting for legal access—without timely relief.
PsyCan, the trade association representing Canada’s legally operating medical psychedelics sector, welcomed the introduction of Bill C-286, a private member’s bill by Saskatoon—University MP Corey Tochor. The bill proposes amending the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and the Food and Drugs Act to create a clearer, regulated pathway for medical access to psilocybin and psilocin, while maintaining Health Canada’s drug-approval process. The legislation would remove psilocybin and psilocin from the restricted-drug category and place them within an existing controlled-drug medical framework. It also requires priority review status for new drug submissions involving these compounds, ensuring faster and more predictable access without bypassing Health Canada’s review. PsyCan emphasized that the current Special Access Program (SAP) for psilocybin and MDMA has become increasingly slow and unreliable, with approval rates dropping by half since 2024 and decision timelines growing longer. Bill C-286 is named in honor of Thomas Hartle, a Saskatchewan father who became a symbol of Canada’s broken psilocybin system after receiving the first legal exemption for psilocybin therapy in 2020. As his stage IV colon cancer progressed, Hartle’s renewal requests for access were delayed for months, forcing him to spend his final days navigating bureaucratic hurdles. His case highlights the urgent need for systemic change, according to PsyCan. The bill aligns with growing public support: a 2025 Abacus Data poll commissioned by PsyCan found that a majority of Canadians favor medically supervised psilocybin use for therapeutic purposes, with only 25% opposed. Meanwhile, international peers like the U.S. and Australia are advancing regulated frameworks for psychedelic therapies, risking Canada’s position if similar action isn’t taken. PsyCan praised Tochor for championing the cause of Hartle and elevating national dialogue on medical psychedelics. The association urged parliamentarians to support the bill, calling it a defining moment for Canadian healthcare. Without reform, vulnerable patients will continue to face slow, uncertain access, leaving them dependent on an outdated system.
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