Latest updates: October 2023

Twenty-three U.S. states and Washington D.C. currently license naturopaths. Six Canadian provinces register naturopaths.

Use the map below to find information on pending naturopathic legislation in the United States and Canada. Hover over a region and click for details, including summaries of scope of practice, history, and relevant articles.

For additional information, the Society for Science-Based Medicine reports weekly legislative updates and also houses a comprehensive legislative archive. Naturopathic Diaries draws upon these resources, and others, to compile the information found herein.

• blue  = naturopathy is illegal or licensure has been abolished
• green  = naturopaths are licensed or registered
• red  = action alert, pending legislation to change naturopathic licensure/scope of practice or upcoming agency review.

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Quick facts about naturopathic medicine:

1. Naturopathic doctors spread falsehoods for political gain

Naturopaths have a history of providing the public and lawmakers with misleading information and outright lies about their training and profession.

• Fact-checking naturopathic talking points at DCFLI. Naturopathic Diaries.
• New leaked AANP “support” for vaccine schedule is probably a marketing ploy for political gain. Naturopathic Diaries.
• The naturopaths are coming! A digest of my talk at NECSS 2017. Naturopathic Diares.
• New York State of mind and naturopathic nonsense. Naturopathic Diaries.
• Naturopathic confessions Part II: the accreditation of naturopathic “medical” education. Naturopathic Diaries.
• Caution Canadians! Naturopathic medicine week 2016. Naturopathic Diaries.
• Naturopathic medicine week 2015. Naturopathic Diaries.

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2. Naturopathic medicine harms patients

Naturopathic practices are often dangerous. These articles showcase examples of patient harm caused by naturopathic care. Since naturopaths do not receive high-quality medical training, they are likely to miss a diagnosis, prescribe the wrong treatment, or cause harm.

• Use of Alternative Medicine for Cancer and Its Impact on Survival. Johnson, S. et al. NCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Volume 110, Issue 1, 1 January 2018. https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djx145
• A naturopath-midwife, homeopathy, and a dead newborn. Naturopathic Diaries.
• Canadian physicians criticize naturopaths in wake of Ezekiel Stephan’s death. Naturopathic Diaries.
• A toddler dies from meningitis, governments need to block naturopathic pediatrics. Naturopathic Diaries.
• I was suffering from postpartum depression: my licensed naturopath recommended beer and marijuana to help me sleep. Naturopathic Diaries. Written by a former patient of naturopathy
• Confessions of a former naturopathic patient: I am not getting better and it is not my fault. Naturopathic Diaries. Written by a former patient of naturopathy
• Naturopath lets her kids suffer with Whooping cough, child abuse? Naturopathic Diaries.
• The homeopathic treatment of bipolar is unethical and dangerous. Naturopathic Diaries.
• Naturopathic pediatrics is not safe. Naturopathic Diaries.
• Naturopaths need to back off autism. Naturopathic Diaries.
• Don’t let a naturopath near your vagina: “black salve” for cervical dysplasia. Naturopathic Diaries.
• Read more stories of patient harm

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3. Naturopathic medicine has no standards of care

There are no standards of care in naturopathy leading to widespread dangerous and dubious practices in the profession. Many naturopaths have a complete disregard for medical standards of care and choose to employ therapies in their practices that are not based on sound evidence or science, including homeopathy and ozone therapy.

• Is there a naturopathic standard of care? 5 May 2016. Science-Based Medicine. Scott Gavura.
• Don’t let a naturopath near your vagina: “black salve” for cervical dysplasia. Naturopathic Diaries.
• A physician’s take on Alberta regulators clearing naturopath of misconduct in toddler’s death. Naturopathic Diaries.
• Naturopathic confessions Part I: naturopathic clinical training. Science-Based Medicine. Britt Hermes.
• Naturopathic confessions Part II: the accreditation of naturopathic “medical” education. Science-Based Medicine. Britt Hermes.
• A question off the naturopathic licensing exam (NPLEX). Naturopathic Diaries.
• Ozone therapy in naturopathic medicine. Naturopathic Diaries.
• Response to Matthew Baral’s perspective on the measles outbreak. Naturopathic Diaries.
• Naturopaths are homeopaths. Naturopathic Diaries.

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4. Naturopathic doctors are not capable of self-regulation

Naturopathic regulatory bodies are ill-equipped for self-regulation. Since the practice of naturopathy is made-up of fake medicine, naturopaths are not competent judges of ethical and professional standards of medical practice. Many regulatory bodies made-up of licensed naturopaths have a history of not adequately regulating the profession.

• A naturopath-midwife, homeopathy, and a dead newborn. Naturopathic Diaries.
• A physician’s take on Alberta regulators clearing naturopath of misconduct in toddler’s death. Naturopathic Diaries.
• Are we being served by the regulation of naturopaths? Not if patients are still being misled. April 2016. The Globe and Mail. Carly Weeks.
• Reality check: New rules for naturopaths fail to ensure safety. 2015. The Globe and Mail. Carly Weeks.
• The wild west: Tales of a naturopathic ethical review board. 2015. Science-Based Medicine. Britt Hermes.

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5. Naturopathic medicine is rife with conflicts of interest

Naturopaths financially depend upon the sales of non-medically necessary dietary supplements, clinical procedures, and extended office visits.

• In office sales is an ethical problem for naturopaths. Naturopathic Diaries.
• The morality of practicing medicine and the licensed naturopath. Naturopathic Diaries.
• Endocrinology vs. Naturopathy—Steel cage death match. Naturopathic Diaries.
• I was a pot doctor: naturopaths blowing smoke with medical marijuana. Naturopathic Diaries.
• Donald Trump’s naturopathic vitamin and diet pyramid scheme. Naturopathic Diaries.

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Want to help?

Join me and the thousands of individuals who have signed the petition to stop the legitimization of naturopathy. It is time to discontinue naturopathic licensing and to implement policies that prevent naturopaths from practicing any kind of medicine.

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Canadian Provinces and Territories