New psychedelics medical research centre opening in Kingston, Ont.

A Kingston, Ont., hospital network and university are opening a new medical psychedelics research centre.

The Centre for Psychedelics Health and Research launchedWednesday at the eastern Ontario city'sProvidence Care Hospital.

Psychedelics are drugs that cause psychological effects in the person who consumes them, such ashallucinations.

Indigenous people have been using psychedelics as healing tools for millenia.

Canadian researchers have been studying the effects of drugs such aspsilocybin(the psychoactive compoundin magic mushrooms), LSD and ketamine on mental health conditions. While those three are controlled substances, Health Canada can allow their use in medical trials.

Queen'sDean of Health Sciences Dr. JanePhilpott said in a news release the centre will be an important steptowardbuilding a "knowledge base" to support patients struggling withmental health and substance use.

The news release said the centre plans to train health-care professionalsto use psychedelics as a therapeutic tool, host community workshops to share knowledge and fight the stigma associated with psychedelics.

It also mentioned chronic pain and palliative care as areas it's interested in.

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The centre'snew directorDr.Claudio Soares, the chair of a psychedelics science committee at the school,wrotehe believes the new centre will help Canada "make informed choices about the efficacy and safety of psychedelics in the future."

The centre also hassupport from the Ontario Brain Instituteand the Canadian Biomarker Integration Network in Depression, where Soares is a founder and executive.

Though the centre opened Wednesday, it's in its early days; it still needs to be outfitted to conduct the trials and other work it hopes to host.