New Michigan Bill Would Legalize Psychedelic Mushrooms For People With PTSD

Newly introduced legislation in Michigan would clear the way for people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to legally possess and use psychedelic mushrooms.

Sponsored by Rep. Mike McFall (D), HB 5980 would legalize possession of up to two ounces of “a substance that contains psilocybin” provided a person is 18 or older and has a medical record “that demonstrates the individual has a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder.” The change would also apply to substances containing psilocin, another psychoactive chemical found in mushrooms.

In addition to the weight limit, the proposal allows possession “only for personal use.” And unlike more regulated psychedelics programs, such as Oregon’s therapeutic psilocybin program, the Michigan measure doesn’t contemplate licensing an industry to produce and dispense psychedelics.

However, the proposal does state that qualified individuals would be “not in violation of” laws barring the creation, manufacture, possession or use of psilocybin and psilocin.

McFall’s new bill, HB 5980, was filed on Thursday with co-sponsors Reps. Dylan Wegela and Kimberly Edwards, both Democrats. It’s been referred to the House Criminal Justice Committee, though it hasn’t yet been scheduled for a hearing.

Late last year, McFall indicated his support for the reform on social media, saying he was working to decriminalize psychedelics for PTSD patients in the state.

I'm with Texas Congressman @DanCrenshawTX on this one. Never thought I'd be saying that. I'm currently working to decriminalize #Psilocybin for Michiganders with #PTSD.https://t.co/Elstwt94R7

— Mike McFall (@VoteMcFall) December 16, 2023

Already at least five municipalities in Michigan have acted at the lower level to end criminal enforcement of laws against psychedelics. Most recently, in January, the Ypsilanti City Council unanimously passed a resolution to deprioritize enforcement of laws against psychedelic substances and express support for a statewide bill to legalize certain entheogenic plants and fungi.

That measure, much like those adopted by other localities in the state, specifically says that it is not intended to legalize the commercial sale of psychedelics. Rather, it makes the arrest and investigation of people for psychedelics-related activities such as possession and cultivation “the lowest law enforcement priority” for the city.

Other Michigan municipal governments that have moved to decriminalize psychedelics include Detroit, Ann Arbor, Ferndale and Hazel Park.

Not all Michigan cities to consider a decriminalization proposal have adopted it, however. Last May, the East Lansing City Council narrowly rejected a similar resolution, with the mayor and city attorney voicing concerns about possible legal ramifications.

In 2021, Grand Rapids, lawmakers approved a resolution supporting the decriminalization of a wide range of psychedelics. That measure, however, disappointed activists because it didn’t actually change any city enforcement practices and merely expressed support for future reforms.

In 2022, a group of activists failed to qualify a psychedelics legalization initiative for the ballot, saying they would refocus their efforts on the 2024 election.

Meanwhile, in August, Michigan lawmakers sent a letter to Congress, the U.S. Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) urging them to prioritize research and investment in psychedelics and other “non-technology treatment options” to address psychological trauma from military service.

Also in August, the head of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) said there’s “growing evidence” that psilocybin could represent a novel therapy option in the treatment of substance misuse, depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions.

While NIH Director Monica Bertagnolli cautioned that the agency is not advising people to use the psychedelic for recreational purposes, initial studies looking into its therapeutic potential have shown promising results, she said, especially as it concerns increasing plasticity in the brain that could help address major mental health disorders.

Psilocybin “comes with health risks and isn’t recommended for recreational use,” she said. But “there’s growing evidence that—under the right conditions—its effects on the brain might be harnessed in the future to help treat substance use disorders or mental illnesses.”

Like the top NIH official, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Director Nora Volkow said last year that there is emerging evidence that psychedelics carry “significant potential” as therapeutic treatments for certain mental health conditions, and it’s a topic of “great interest” for researchers.

Meanwhile, the U.S. House of Representatives recently approved amendments to a large-scale spending bill that would authorize VA doctors to issue medical marijuana recommendations to military veterans and support psychedelics research and access.

The Senate Appropriations Committee also recently passed report language for appropriations legislation conveying concerns about restrictions on marijuana and psychedelics research imposed by current prohibition.

GOP Senator Files Bill To Triple THC Cap For Hemp As Lawmakers Weigh Competing Cannabis Regulatory Proposals

Top Federal Health Official Highlights ‘Growing Evidence’ Psilocybin Can Treat Addiction, Depression And More

The head of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) says there’s “growing evidence” that psilocybin could represent a novel therapy option in the treatment of substance misuse, depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions.

While NIH Director Monica Bertagnolli cautioned that the agency is not advising people to use the psychedelic for recreational purposes, initial studies looking into its therapeutic potential have shown promising results, especially as it concerns increasing plasticity in the brain that could help address major mental health disorders.

Psilocybin “comes with health risks and isn’t recommended for recreational use,” she said. But “there’s growing evidence that—under the right conditions—its effects on the brain might be harnessed in the future to help treat substance use disorders or mental illnesses.”

Bertagnolli specifically cited an NIH-supported study published in the journal Nature last month that involved MRI brain mapping of people who took psilocybin in a medically supervised setting. The research supported findings from earlier studies involving animals that found the psychedelic “makes key brain areas more adaptable,” or “plastic.”

The NIH-backed study, conducted by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, examined brain functioning among healthy adults who were first administered doses of psilocybin and methylphenidate, the generic version of the prescription amphetamine Ritalin. Six to 12 months later, they were brought back and given a dose of psilocybin alone.

This week on the blog: A new study at @WUSTLmed maps the effects of #psilocybin, an ingredient in “magic mushrooms”, on the brain, with the goal of understanding why the drug has shown potential benefit for treating mental health conditions. https://t.co/4HmojXpYWQ#NIH

— Dr. Monica M. Bertagnolli (@NIHDirector) August 15, 2024

“Comparisons of the brain images revealed profound and widespread, but temporary, changes to the brain’s functional networks,” Bertagnolli said in a blog post published on Thursday. “While an individual’s functional brain network is typically as distinctive as a fingerprint, psilocybin made the participants’ brain networks look so similar in the scans that the researchers couldn’t tell them apart.”

“For all the participants, psilocybin desynchronized the brain’s default mode network, an interconnected set of brain areas that are most active when people are daydreaming or otherwise not engaged in any focused, goal-directed mental activity. By comparison, the default mode network remained stable after study participants took methylphenidate. Once the effects of psilocybin wore off, brain function returned almost to its original state. However, the researchers did note small but potentially important differences in each participant’s brain scans after taking psilocybin that remained for weeks.”

The NIH director said the study findings “suggest that the more subtle, longer-term effects they observed might indicate that the brain is more flexible in the weeks following a dose of psilocybin in ways that could allow for a healthier state.”

“This may help explain preliminary research showing that psilocybin may have benefits for treating substance use disorders, as well as depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions,” she said.

While “encouraging,” the study results “should not be seen as a reason to try psilocybin without clinician supervision or use it to self-medicate,” Bertagnolli stressed. “The drug is not proven or approved as a treatment for any condition, and its unsupervised use comes with serious risks. The researchers hope that with much more clinical study of how and why this drug affects individuals in the powerful ways that it does, this kind of research may one day lead to a greater understanding of the human brain and promising new interventions that improve mental health.”

Like the top NIH official, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Director Nora Volkow said last year that there is emerging evidence that psychedelics carry “significant potential” as therapeutic treatments for certain mental health conditions, and it’s a topic of “great interest” for researchers.

The new blog post from the NIH director, meanwhile, also comes as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) faces criticism for declining to approve MDMA-assisted therapy for the treatment of conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder after an agency advisory committee recommended against that approval earlier this year.

Bipartisan lawmakers separately staged an event at the U.S. Capitol calling for the MDMA approval and also launched an art installation memorializing military veterans who died by suicide.

A U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) official also said this month that the agency has produced “stunning and robust results” from a first-ever clinical trial into MDMA therapy. She is also applauding Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), who recently visited a VA research facility, for her “knowledge of the psychedelic literature and all of the relevant issues.”

Meanwhile, FDA recently withdrew a request for White House permission to conduct a study about the risks of using kratom and psychedelics amid a “rapid resurgence” of public interest in the substances. Advocates are celebrating the news after criticizing the initial request as another example of FDA “bias” against harm reduction options.

Also, the U.S. House of Representatives recently approved amendments to a large-scale spending bill that would authorize VA doctors to issue medical marijuana recommendations to military veterans and support psychedelics research and access.

The Senate Appropriations Committee also recently passed report language for appropriations legislation conveying concerns about restrictions on marijuana and psychedelics research imposed by current prohibition.

Bipartisan Congressional Lawmakers Say U.S. Citizen Jaile In Russia Needs Medical Marijuana Access To ‘Subdue His Pain’

Photo courtesy of Dick Culbert.

Arizona Senate Passes Bill To Legalize Psilocybin Service Centers Where People Could Use The Psychedelic In A Supervised Setting

The Arizona Senate has passed a bipartisan bill to legalize psilocybin service centers where people could receive the psychedelic in a medically supervised setting.

Senators approved the legislation from Sen. T. J. Shope (R) in a 24-4 vote on Thursday, sending it to the House of Representatives for consideration.

The floor vote came after the measure cleared the Rules Committee and Health and Human Services Committee.

If enacted into law, the Department of Human Services (DHS) would be authorized to license psilocybin-assisted therapy centers in the state, where trained facilitators could administer the psychedelic.

The legislation would significantly expand on Arizona’s existing research-focused psychedelics law that provides $5 million in annual funding to support studies into psilocybin therapy.

Shope’s proposal would establish an Arizona Psilocybin Advisory Board, comprised of members appointed by the governor and legislative leaders. Representatives of the attorney general’s office and DHS, as well as military veterans, first responders, scientists with experience with psilocybin and physicians would be among the members. A floor amendment that was approved also added an enrolled member of a Native American tribe with experience in the use of psilocybin in “culturally and spiritually significant ceremonies.”

The board would be responsible for establishing training criteria for psilocybin service center staff, making recommendations on the implementation of the law, and studying the science and policy developments related to psychedelics.

By July 31, 2025 and each year after that, members would need to submit an annual report on the status of “medical, psychological and scientific” studies into the safety and efficacy of psilocybin, as well as a “long-term strategic plan” on ensuring that psychedelic-assisted therapy remains “safe, accessible and affordable” to people 21 and older.

#sb1570 is now through the Senate and onto the House! #psilocybin#mentalhealth#psychedelicspic.twitter.com/AhCjJa23Qc

— Psychedelic Association of Arizona (@48paaz) February 29, 2024

Medical directors of psychedelic-assisted therapy centers would need to complete at least 132 hours of training under an approved program, which would need to involve lessons on the historical and traditional use of psychedelics, safety and ethics, facilitation skills and preparation, administration and integration.

The bill, which is cosponsored by Senate President Warren Petersen (R), states that DHS would need to start accepting applications for psychedelics centers by January 1, 2026. The department would need to promulgate rules for the program, but it would be barred from requiring specific eligible conditions for participation in psilocybin services.

Regulators could also license psilocybin centers that are carrying out clinical trials into the psychedelic that could lead to a Food and Drug Administration-approved drug.

Meanwhile, last month an Arizona House committee approved a separate bill to protect the $5 million in funding that’s already been designated for psilocybin research from being redistributed amid a state budget deficit.

The fund was enacted last year under an appropriations package signed by the governor that mandated research into the medical potential of psilocybin mushrooms for a variety of conditions.

A Psilocybin Research Advisory Council that was established under DHS met for the first time last November prior an open application period for potential grant recipients.

The grant money must be distributed to applicants with proposals focused on clinical trials that are meant to identify therapeutic applications that could receive FDA approval for treatment of 13 listed conditions.

Arizona one of several states where lawmakers have worked to promote research into psychedelics amid growing public interest in expanding therapeutic access and ending criminalization.

—Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,000 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.—

For example, the governor of New Mexico recently endorsed a newly enacted resolution requesting that state officials research the therapeutic potential of psilocybin and explore the creation of a regulatory framework to provide access to the psychedelic.

The Connecticut legislature’s joint Judiciary Committee filed a bill to decriminalize psilocybin this week.

An Illinois senator recently introduced a bill to legalize psilocybin and allow regulated access at service centers in the state where adults could use the psychedelic in a supervised setting—with plans to expand the program to include mescaline, ibogaine and DMT.

Alaska House and Senate committees are considering legislation that would create a task force to study how to license and regulate psychedelic-assisted therapy in anticipation of eventual federal legalization of substances like MDMA and psilocybin.

Lawmakers in Hawaii are also continuing to advance a bill that would provide some legal protections to patients engaging in psilocybin-assisted therapy with a medical professional’s approval.

This month, an Indiana House committee approved a Republican-led bill that would fund clinical research trials into psilocybin that has already cleared the full Senate.

Bipartisan California lawmakers also recently introduced a bill to legalize psychedelic service centers where adults 21 and older could access psilocybin, MDMA, mescaline and DMT in a supervised environment with trained facilitators.

A Nevada joint legislative committee held a hearing with expert and public testimony on the therapeutic potential of substances like psilocybin last month. Law enforcement representatives also shared their concerns around legalization—but there was notable acknowledgement that some reforms should be enacted, including possible rescheduling.

The governor of Massachusetts recently promoted the testimony of activists who spoke in favor of her veterans-focused bill that would, in part, create a psychedelics work group to study the therapeutic potential of substances such as psilocybin.

A New York lawmaker have introduced a bill that would create a pilot program to provide psilocybin therapy to 10,000 people, focusing on military veterans and first responders, while the legislature also considers broader psychedelics reform.

A Missouri House committee considered a proposal last month that would legalize the medical use of psilocybin in the state and mandate clinical trials exploring the therapeutic potential of the psychedelic.

Denver Launches Psychedelics Work Group To Guide Local Regulations Under Statewide Legalization Law

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia/Workman.