Beginning in 2026, patients in Czechia will legally gain access to therapeutic psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, following a newly approved amendment to the country’s criminal law. The measure restricts use to medical settings and is designed exclusively for individuals who have not responded to standard treatments such as antidepressants.

Health experts say the shift reflects growing global confidence in psychedelic-assisted therapy, which has shown encouraging results for conditions including severe depression.

Strict protocols and professional supervision
The rollout will follow guidelines set by the Psychiatric Society of the Czech Medical Society J. E. Purkyně. These rules determine which medical professionals are authorized to provide psilocybin therapy and outline the safety requirements for each session.

Treatment will rely on synthetic psilocybin administered in controlled clinical environments. Each therapeutic session lasts roughly six hours and must be overseen by two trained therapists—both holding psychiatric qualifications and specialized training in psychedelic therapy. At present, only a few dozen certified specialists exist nationwide, mostly in Prague and Brno.

Health authorities are still finalizing the exact implementation date as they negotiate with insurance providers. Because each session requires extensive time and staffing, costs are expected to reach tens of thousands of Czech crowns, making insurance coverage essential for wider access.

Jiří Horáček, director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NUDZ), emphasized the need for insurance support, saying it would be “unacceptable” for the treatment to be available only to patients who can afford to pay privately.

Why psilocybin? Faster effects, new options for untreatable cases
About 70 percent of patients respond to conventional antidepressants. For the remaining group—those with treatment-resistant depression—psilocybin therapy may offer an alternative. Unlike antidepressants, which can take weeks to work, psilocybin’s effects may be noticeable much sooner.

Researchers also note potential benefits for patients dealing with complex conditions, such as depression linked to cancer diagnoses. However, patients must meet medical prerequisites, including stable blood pressure, before starting therapy.

Limited access at first, with room for expansion
Only a few dozen patients per year are expected to undergo the therapy initially. Until now, such treatment has been restricted to clinical trials. Broader availability will depend on the outcome of ongoing insurance negotiations and scaling up the number of trained specialists.

Czechia’s move aligns with an international trend toward regulated psychedelic treatment. Countries including the U.S., Canada, and several European states have already begun adopting supervised medical use of psychedelics for mental health conditions.

Experts stress that successful implementation will require rigorous regulation, specialized training, and continuous monitoring to ensure safety and maximize therapeutic benefit. Patients and healthcare providers are encouraged to follow further updates from the National Institute of Mental Health as the rollout progresses.