Iowa lawmakers are moving forward with a proposal to legalize the use of psilocybin, a hallucinogenic chemical produced by psychedelic mushrooms, for psychiatric treatment through a program similar to how the Hawkeye State handles medical cannabis.
The state House voted 84-6 on Monday to advance legislation that would create a psilocybin licensing board within the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The legislation now goes to the state Senate for further consideration.
The House-approved bill would create a panel of experts to set up a framework to offer psilocybin as a treatment option for people with certain mental health conditions, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It would limit its use to 5,000 patients who are at least 21 years old and only allow it to be administered in clinical environments with psychiatric support. The bill would not legalize recreational use.
State lawmakers who supported the measure cited the benefits that it could provide for military veterans, law enforcement officers and others prone to PTSD.
State Rep. John Wills (R), a military veteran who handled the bill on the floor Monday, said he had researched the use of psilocybin and cited work from the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research that showed the drug’s effectiveness for treating people with PTSD.
A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found more Americans are embracing the use of psilocybin, which is also used to treat depression and substance use disorders. The drug isn’t approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but several states have moved to decriminalize it or allow it in treatment settings, like the Iowa proposal.
“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 lives,” Wills said on the House floor. “I’m a scientific type of guy … this stuff actually works.”
Republicans hold majorities in both the House and Senate in Iowa, but it’s unclear when the Senate may take up the proposal.
A spokesperson for Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) didn’t immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment on her position.
