November 20, 2020 Patty Hajdu Honourable Minister of Health Health Canada Email:
[email protected] Dear Minister Hajdu, On behalf of the Numinus Wellness Clinical Advisory Board*, please find enclosed a briefing note and appendices making recommendations for the revision of Health Canada’s Special Access Programme. We would appreciate the opportunity to have a follow up call with relevant Health Canada staff to review these recommendations if this would be of assistance. Sincerely, ____________________________ ____________________________ Evan Wood, MD, PhD, FRCPC Devon Christie, MD, CCFP, RTC Chief Medical Officer Medical Director *Gabor Maté, M.D.,C.M, Author & Retired Physician, Pam Kryskow, M.D., CCFP, Physician & Clinical Instructor, UBC, Zach Walsh, PhD, Professor, Psychology, UBC, Kate Browning RN, Administrator & Instructor, Holistic Health, Langara College, Dr. Jason Marr, BScH, COC, ND, Founder & Director of Evoke Integrative Medicine Ltd. cc: Pierre Sabourin, Assistant Deputy Minister Health Products and Food Branch, Health Canada Email:
[email protected] Eric Costen, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch, Health Canada Email:
[email protected] numinus.ca
[email protected] TITLE: Revising Health Canada’s Special Access Program to Allow Pre-Approval Access to MDMA and Psilocybin PREPARED FOR: Patty Hajdu, Honourable Minister of Health DATE: November 20, 2020 ISSUE: There is a large and growing burden of mental illness affecting Canadians. In some cases, this is severe and can be life threatening for a range of reasons (e.g. opioid overdose, suicide). Existing treatments for severe mental illness are often ineffective and associated with unwanted side effects meaning new treatment modalities are urgently needed.