The Dutch Parliament has established an independent State Commission to research the legal status of MDMA and provide advice on its medical use.
The Commission will conduct a multidisciplinary analysis of the health risks of MDMA and aims to advise the Dutch Cabinet on its legal status by the end of January 2024.
MDMA is showing promise through a number of clinical trials as a potential treatment for conditions such as PTSD when combined with supportive psychotherapy.
While Australia this year made the groundbreaking decision to reschedule MDMA for the treatment of PTSD, the substance had already been granted breakthrough therapy status as a treatment for the condition by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2017.
A proposal to establish the Commission was put forward by Ernst Kuipers, Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport after he was presented a report, ‘Therapeutic applications of psychedelics’, by ZonMw, an organisation that funds Dutch health research and innovation.
In a statement, Minister Kuipers said: “It is good that the status of MDMA in the context of public health and its medicinal use is being examined.
“There are good indications that the use of drugs, such as MDMA, can help patients in certain situations where regularly offered drugs cannot.
“Recently I also received a report on this from ZonMW about therapeutic applications of psychedelics in the Netherlands.
“I look forward to the advice of the State Commission. It is a diverse state committee with expertise in a variety of dossiers such as the treatment of psychotraumas, undermining [sic] and addiction care.
“I am therefore confident that the cabinet and I will be provided with good advice in this area.”
The University of Groningen has confirmed that Brigit Toebes, Professor at the Faculty of Law and scientific director of the Aletta Jacobs School of Public Health, has been selected to act as the chair of the Commission on MDMA.
Toebes stated: “There are indications that MDMA could help patients. Trauma patients, for instance. The State Commission comprises a very broad base encompassing a wide range of expertise.
“As a legal professional, I have not yet researched psychedelics myself, and so I am very much looking forward to the collaboration and learning process.”
