Arizona lawmakers have unanimously approved a bill that would fund research into the potential medical benefits of psilocybin mushrooms on various medical conditions. The legislation would provide $30 million in grants over three years to study the effects of psilocybin on 13 different conditions, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety. The bill would not legalize psilocybin, but it could help inform future reforms that would allow access to psychedelic-assisted therapy.
The research would be funded for phase I, II, and III clinical trials that could be approved by the FDA. The bill was introduced by a bipartisan group of lawmakers and is aimed at expanding research into the use of psilocybin to treat medical conditions.
As part of the psilocybin research bill approved in committee, those who receive grant money for clinical trials will be protected from prosecution. An advisory council would also be created to oversee the grant application process and make recommendations to state officials on psychedelic-assisted therapy based on current research policy.
The council would be established under the Department of Health Services and would be responsible for setting eligibility criteria for grant recipients. The bill aims to expand research into the medical benefits of psilocybin and inform future policy changes on the use of psychedelic-assisted therapy.
Several state-level psychedelics reform bills have been introduced this session, including one recently approved by Hawaii senators to research the therapeutic potential of psilocybin, MDMA, and other alternative treatments for mental health conditions. Other states, including Iowa, Missouri, New Hampshire, and Utah, have also made recent developments in psychedelics reform.
The recent approval of MDMA and psilocybin by TGA for medical use in Australia could serve as a supporting case for the United States to follow suit.
