Mind Body Health & Politics

What if you were facing a terminal illness, wracked by anxiety and depression, and knew that a safe, promising treatment existed - but was denied to you?This is the heart-wrenching reality for many of Dr. Sunil Aggarwal's patients. A palliative care physician in Seattle, Dr. Aggarwal is fighting a landmark legal case for the right to treat his dying patients with psilocybin-assisted therapy.Psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, has shown remarkable potential in easing end-of-life distress. But despite the "Right to Try" laws passed in over 40 states, the DEA is blocking access - even for those with just months to live."We're slowly trying to chip away at a mentality that says there's no way forward except research," Dr. Aggarwal told me. "Psychedelic substances - we already recognize they have great utility. Everybody knows the FDA has said twice that psilocybin is a breakthrough therapy."In my latest interview, Dr. Aggarwal and I explore:* The anguish of terminal illness and the failure of me