NSW Consumers Face Hurdles for Medicinal Ecstasy Access, Minister Says

But the NSW health department has defended its strict measures citing “patient safety.”

A Bureau of Customs (BOC) personnel displays confiscated illegal drugs, known Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly refered to as ecstasy, at a press conference at the BOC headquarters in Manila, Philippines, on Sept. 14, 2016. Noel Celis/AFP/Getty Images

Consumers in NSW still face “ludicrous” and “expensive” barriers to accessing medicinal ecstasy despite the approved use of MDMA and other psychedelics for mental health conditions in Australia, according to a minister.

In 2023, Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved the use of MDMA for treating post-traumatic stress disorder and treatment-resistant depression.