Tag: psilocybin

Trump’s VA Secretary Touts Being ‘One Of The First’ In His Role To Support Psychedelic Medicine For Veterans

The head of the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) is touting the fact that he’s “one of the first” secretaries of the agency with a commitment to exploring psychedelics as a potential therapy option for veterans.

During a pair of hearings before the House Veterans’ Affairs and Appropriations Committees on Thursday, VA Secretary Doug Collins was asked about psychedelics issues by multiple GOP lawmakers, fielding questions about his intent to facilitate research in hopes of securing access for the veteran community.

At the Veterans Affairs Committee hearing, Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI)—co-chair of the Congressional Psychedelic Advancing Therapies (PATH) Caucus—asked whether Collins had “any visibility” about the status of VA-supported psychedelics studies.

“We’re getting there,” Collins said. “I’m also probably one of the first of the [VA] secretaries who’ve actually decided that we will take a look at it. We’re not simply putting it off, and we’re going to do everything we possibly can, under the rules given to us by Congress, to actually continue that look. What we’re seeing so far is positive.”

“What we’re seeing so far in some of the studies that are related to VA, and also outside of VA as well,” he said, “is that there has been—especially when it comes to [post-traumatic stress disorder], and also traumatic brain injury and others—we’re seeing some actual positive outcomes there, especially when it is coupled with intense counseling. And I think that’s the one of the keys that we look forward to.”

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New Hampshire Senators Approve Psilocybin Decriminalization Bill

A New Hampshire Senate panel has advanced a House-passed bill to decriminalize the use and possession of psilocybin by adults.

The measure, sponsored by Rep. Kevin Verville (R), cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee on a 3-2 vote on Tuesday. It previously passed the full House of Representatives in March.

Before approving the legislation, members of the Senate panel attached an amendment that would enact mandatory minimum sentences for certain fentanyl-related offenses and for distribution of drugs that result in a user’s death.

Sen. Tara Reardon (D) asked colleagues if the idea is that “we’re trading” the House-favored move to reduce psilocybin penalties in exchange “for enhanced penalties” on fentanyl that were contained in a separate bill that passed the Senate in January and has since remained pending before the House Judiciary Committee for months.

“One might say that, yes,” replied Chairman Bill Gannon (R).

Under the psychedelic-focused provisions of HB 528, a first psilocybin offense would be a violation, subject to a fine of $100 or less.

Second and third psilocybin offenses, meanwhile, would be class B misdemeanors, carrying fines of up to $500 and $1,000, respectively, but with no risk of jail time. Fourth and subsequent offenses would remain classified as felonies.

Sales and distribution of the substance would still be illegal, as the reform would apply only to “a person 18 years of age or older who obtains, purchases, transports, possesses, or uses psilocybin.”

As originally introduced, the legislation would have completely removed penalties around obtaining, purchasing, transporting, possessing or using psilocybin, effectively legalizing it on a noncommercial basis. However a House committee amended the bill before unanimously advancing it in March.

Verville previously told Marijuana Moment that the House’s passage of his psilocybin bill was “an historic, albeit small first step on our journey to correct 60 years of demonstrably failed policy on psychedelics.”

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Psilocybin use has surged in the United States since 2019

The use of psilocybin—the active compound in so-called “magic mushrooms”—has increased significantly in the United States since 2019, according to a new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Drawing on data from five national sources, researchers found sharp increases in both lifetime and recent use, especially among adults with symptoms of anxiety, depression, and chronic pain.

Psilocybin is a naturally occurring hallucinogen found in certain species of mushrooms. It has attracted growing scientific and public attention due to promising early studies suggesting it may help treat depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance use disorders. Although not currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, psilocybin has entered clinical trials and has been decriminalized or legalized in parts of Oregon, Colorado, and several municipalities. This shifting legal landscape has raised questions about whether broader public use is increasing—and what the public health consequences might be.

“With efforts to legalize psilocybin mushrooms in Colorado, Oregon, and elsewhere ongoing, we wanted to determine whether there were more people using psilocybin mushrooms now than when legalization first passed here in Denver in 2019,” said Joshua Black, the co-lead author and senior scientist at Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Safety, a division of Denver Health.

To investigate these trends, the researchers analyzed five major U.S. data sources to examine psilocybin use from 2014 to 2023: the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the Survey of Non-Medical Use of Prescription Drugs, Monitoring the Future, the National Poison Data System, and the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. By comparing responses across these sources, the team aimed to track changes in who is using psilocybin, how often, and whether they’re showing up in healthcare settings as a result.

The researchers chose 2019 as a key benchmark, since that year marked the first legal policy changes regarding psilocybin in the United States. Until then, use patterns were relatively stable. But after 2019, things began to shift. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, lifetime use of psilocybin among adults rose from 10 percent (around 25 million people) in 2019 to 12.1 percent (over 31 million people) in 2023. Among adolescents aged 12 to 17, lifetime use rose more modestly, from 1.1 percent to 1.3 percent.

The increases were even more dramatic when looking at recent use. Among adults aged 18 to 29, past-year use rose 44 percent from 2019 to 2023. Among adults 30 and older, it jumped 188 percent. By 2023, 2.1 percent of adults reported using psilocybin in the past year—more than the number who reported using cocaine, LSD, methamphetamine, or illegal opioids.

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Texas House Approves Bill To Study Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy And Make Recommendations For Legal Access

The Texas House of Representatives on Tuesday gave initial approval on Wednesday to a bill that would establish a state-backed study into the use of psilocybin, MDMA and ketamine to treat conditions such as PTSD and depression.

Lawmakers voted 98–41 to pass HB 4014, from Rep. John Bucy III (D), on second reading. A third reading vote on final passage, expected soon, would send the measure to the Senate.

The proposal is designed to help prepare the state for what supporters see as the eventual federal approval of psychedelic-assisted therapy. In its current form, it would create a study program under the state Health and Human Services Commission, which would assess clinical trials and published literature into the efficacy of psychedelics—specifically MDMA, psilocybin and ketamine—as a treatment PTSD, depression and other mental health disorders.

Officials would also review U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) actions around the therapies, evaluate treatment guidelines and make recommendations to eventually ensure legal access for Texas patients.

“This bill will prepare Texas for the safe and efficient integration of psychedelic therapies into its healthcare system,” Bucy said on the House floor, “ensuring that Texans struggling with PTSD, depression and other mental health conditions have safe, affordable access to innovative treatment upon FDA approval.”

By December 1, 2026, the commission would need to provide a report to state lawmakers with results of the study as well as “any recommendations for legislative or other action necessary to ensure patient access to psychedelic therapies for treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and other co-occurring conditions after those therapies are approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration.”

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Hawaii Bill To Support Psychedelic Therapy—Passed By Both Senate And House—Is Dead For The Session

A Hawaii bill to support research into psychedelic-assisted therapies that had passed both chambers of the legislature in different forms missed a legislative deadline and is now dead for the session, its sponsor tells Marijuana Moment.

SB 1042, from Sen. Chris Lee (D), was scheduled for a conference committee meeting, with lawmakers from both legislative chambers set to hammer out differences between versions of the bill passed by the House and Senate.

“Unfortunately, we ran out of time was the bottom line,” Lee said in a brief phone interview. “And that happened to a slew of bills, not just this one.”

While the proposal won’t move forward this year, the senator said the conversation this session will set the stage for a renewed effort in 2026.

“The great thing is, we had agreement on the final language in the bill,” Lee said. “So I think picking up next year from there will give us the ability to identify a clear path forward.”

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Psilocybin shows promise for improving mood, cognition, and motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease

A small pilot study has found that psilocybin, the active compound in psychedelic mushrooms, may improve not only mood but also cognitive and motor symptoms in individuals with Parkinson’s disease. The results surprised the research team, who initially aimed only to evaluate the drug’s safety. Instead, participants experienced noticeable improvements that lasted for weeks following a single high-dose session. The findings, published in Neuropsychopharmacology, mark the first time a psychedelic has been tested in people with any neurodegenerative disease.

Parkinson’s disease is best known for its motor symptoms, including tremor, stiffness, and slowed movement. But many people with the disease also struggle with depression and anxiety, which often begin years before motor symptoms appear. These mood issues are not just emotionally distressing—they are strongly linked to faster physical decline and worse overall quality of life. Standard treatments for depression and anxiety, such as antidepressants, are often less effective in people with Parkinson’s, making the search for new therapeutic options especially urgent.

Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound that is converted in the body into psilocin, which interacts with serotonin receptors in the brain. Studies in major depression and anxiety linked to terminal illness have shown that even a single dose of psilocybin, when paired with psychotherapy, can lead to rapid and long-lasting improvements in mood. Scientists believe the drug may help the brain form new neural connections, a property referred to as neuroplasticity. These effects may be particularly relevant for people with Parkinson’s disease, who exhibit disrupted serotonin signaling, inflammation, and loss of neural connectivity—all factors that may contribute to both mood and motor symptoms.

Given the complex neurobiology of Parkinson’s and concerns about possible drug interactions and psychosis risk, the research team at the University of California, San Francisco set out to test the safety and tolerability of psilocybin in this population. They enrolled 12 participants between the ages of 40 and 75, all of whom had mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease and met diagnostic criteria for depression or anxiety. People with significant cognitive impairment, active psychosis, or other medical risks were excluded from the trial. Most participants were already being treated with levodopa, the most common medication for managing motor symptoms of Parkinson’s.

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California Senators Approve Bipartisan Bill To Create Psilocybin Pilot Program For Veterans And First Responders

California senators have unanimously approved a bipartisan bill to create a psilocybin pilot program for military veterans and first responders.

On Wednesday, members of the Senate Health Committee advanced the legislation from Sens. Josh Becker (D) and Brian Jones (R), with amendments, in a 7-0 vote.

The proposal would establish a pilot program under the University of California (UC) system to study and develop “psilocybin services” for eligible patients in up to five counties across the state.

The universities would be responsible for “protocol design, institutional review board approvals, training of psilocybin facilitators, data collection, and reporting” of the pilot program.

“The bill would require each local pilot program to partner with local mental health clinics, hospice programs, veterans facilities, or other community-based providers that provide services and care to the target population,” the measure, as introduced in January, says. “This bill would require the agency to report specified information about the pilot program to the Legislature by January 15, 2030.”

Under the legislation, the state would establish a “Veterans and First Responders Research Pilot Special Fund,” with continuous appropriations to fund the work.

“SB 751 responds to crisis we cannot ignore. Every day, an average of 17.6 veterans die by suicide. First responders—those who run towards dangers to protect the rest of us—are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty,” Becker said. “These are individuals who’ve experienced repeated trauma and, too often, existing mental health treatments simply don’t work for them.”

Many are turning to underground or unregulated sources of psilocybin, or even traveling abroad, to seek relief that only places them at risk,” he said. “It signals a serious gap in our system of care. This bill is a step towards addressing that gap responsibly and safely.”

A findings section of the legislation—which is also cosponsored by eight other lawmakers, including longtime psychedelics reform advocate Sen. Scott Wiener (D)—states that research “suggests that psilocybin and psilocyn, when used in a controlled setting, may offer significant benefits in treating mental health disorders, particularly those related to trauma and stress.”

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Iowa House Passes Bill To Legalize Medical Use Of Psilocybin

The Iowa House passed legislation Monday to legalize the use of psilocybin, the psychoactive compound found in “magic mushrooms,” for psychiatric treatment through a state program.

House File 978, passed 84–6, would establish a Psilocybin Production Establishment Licensing Board within the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), operating in a similar fashion to the existing Medical Cannabidiol Advisory Board that oversees Iowa’s medical cannabis program. The board would grant licenses for the production and administration of products with psilocybin to people with certain mental health needs in the state.

The bill also sets new requirements for who can access the substance, including an age 21 restriction and limit of 5,000 patients who can be recommended psilocybin treatment.

Rep. John Wills (R-Spirit Lake), the floor manager for the bill, said he would not have guessed that he would be involved in a bill on psilocybin before this year because “it’s just not something that I’m into.” But he said after learning more about the effectiveness of psilocybin treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), he believed the program will help people suffering in Iowa, like military veterans, law enforcement officers and other groups that face high rates of PTSD.

He said the bill requires people to receive psilocybin in a clinical environment with psychiatric support. In this environment, he said, the drug has been shown to allow people to “relive” their trauma in a controlled, safe space, and be able to resolve or lessen the impacts of PTSD. Wills said he believes this method could help address the high suicide rates of veterans and others suffering from the disorder, and offers a better alternative to other forms of PTSD treatment currently available.

“I will tell you, right now the only option these veterans have, the only option these people with PTSD have, is to be on mind-altering, life-altering drugs for the rest of their life,” Wills said.

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Florida Senate Passes Bill To Ban Psychedelic Mushroom Spores, As Companion Measure Also Advances In House

Florida’s Senate on Wednesday passed a wide-ranging agricultural bill that contains provisions to outlaw fungal spores that produce mushrooms containing psilocybin or psilocin. The vote came a day after a House committee advanced a companion bill in that chamber.

Senators voted 27–9 to approve SB 700, from Sen. Keith Truenow (R). HB 651 is moving through the House, meanwhile, having advanced out of the Commerce Committee on Tuesday.

The proposed ban on spores of mushrooms that create psilocybin or psilocin is a small part of the roughly 150-page legislation, which would make a variety of adjustments to Florida’s agricultural laws, including around agricultural lands, utilities and wildlife management.

With respect to psychedelic mushrooms, both measures would outlaw transporting, importing, selling or giving away “spores or mycelium capable of producing mushrooms or other material which will contain a controlled substance, including psilocybin or psilocyn, during its lifecycle.”

Violating the proposed law would be a first-degree misdemeanor, carrying a maximum one year in jail and $1,000 fine.

While lawmakers on the Senate floor and House committee spent considerable time debating various other portions of the bills—especially a proposed ban on fluoride in local water supplies—there was no mention of the provision concerning psychedelic mushroom spores.

“This bill at its core is meant to help farmers and consumers and students who want to become farmers one day,” Truenow said ahead of the floor vote.

Psilocybin and psilocin are the two main psychoactive compounds in psychedelic mushrooms. Although spores themselves typically do not contain psilocybin or psilocin, they eventually produce fruiting bodies—mushrooms—that do contain the psychedelic compounds.

Because the spores don’t contain any controlled substances, the federal government deems them legal.

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Florida Lawmakers Unanimously Approve Bill To Make Medical Marijuana Cards Free For Military Veterans

A Florida House panel on Tuesday unanimously approved a bill that would exempt military veterans from state registration fees for medical marijuana cards, allowing them to obtain the certifications for free.

The House Health and Human Services Committee advanced the legislation, HB 555 from Rep. Alex Andrade (R), on a vote of 21-0.

As originally filed, the measure would have made more significant changes to the state’s existing medical cannabis program, for example allowing home cultivation as well as reciprocity for out-of-state patients. But earlier this month the House Health Professions and Programs Subcommittee replaced its language with a two-page substitute that instead would make only small changes to the medical program.

First, it would change how often patients need to renew their medical marijuana cards, from the current annual process to once every two years.

Second, it would waive the $75 registration and renewal fees for veterans, specifying that the state “may not charge a fee for the issuance, replacement, or renewal of an identification card for a qualified patient who is a veteran.”

A handful of supporters testified ahead of the panel’s vote on Tuesday, and no one spoke against the measure.

Melissa Villar of Tallahassee NORML said that when Florida’s medical cannabis program launched, “it was the most expensive in the country for patients and for business entrance.” She asked lawmakers to expand the bill to go beyond helping military veterans and to additionally provide for discounted or cost-free patient cards for people who are disabled or low income.

If HB 555 becomes law, the changes would take effect July 1.

Separately, House and Senate lawmakers are considering legislation that would outlaw fungal spores that produce mushrooms containing psilocybin or psylocin.

The proposed ban on spores of mushrooms that create psilocybin or psilocin is part of the roughly 150-page bills, which would make a variety of adjustments to Florida’s agricultural laws, including around agricultural lands, utilities and wildlife management.

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