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A new bill in Indiana would create a psilocybin research fund aimed at funding research institutions studying psychedelics as alternative treatments for mental health and medical disorders ranging from PTSD to migraines. Become.
The proposal, SB 139, was introduced by Republican Sen. Ed Charbonneau this week and has already been scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Health and Medical Care Committee on Wednesday.
If passed, the bill would not change Indiana’s criminal law regarding psilocybin, but instead would subsidize the cost of clinical trials to test the drug’s effectiveness, particularly among veterans and first responders. Become.
The bill would create the Therapeutic Psilocybin Research Fund “to provide financial support to Indiana research institutions studying the use of psilocybin in the treatment of mental health and other medical conditions.”
Researchers must apply to the state Department of Health to receive funding to study the substance as a treatment for conditions, six of which are specified in the bill. Anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, chronic pain, migraines.
The study should “compare the effectiveness of psilocybin as a treatment for mental health and other medical conditions with the effectiveness of other current treatment options.”
Research funded under this bill would be required to include veterans and first responders in the research sample. Participants will be required to undergo a mental health assessment before participating in funded research.
The bill was introduced as an emergency measure and will take effect as soon as it is passed. Authorities must establish a process to administer the fund and process applications by July 1.
Despite creating the fund, the proposal would not immediately allocate funds. The fund is comprised of contributions, gifts and appropriations from the state Legislature, the foundation said.
After completing the study, the funded agency must submit a report “summarizing the study findings and legislative recommendations” to the state, including the Department of Health, the Office of Mental Health and Addictions, and the assigned interim research committee. There is. Last year I researched various health issues.
A research committee recently recommended that lawmakers approve a psilocybin testing program to study psychedelic-assisted treatments for mental health during this year’s legislative session, stating, “The Indiana General Assembly must balance access, research, and prudence.” He recommended that the government take a similar approach.
Although psilocybin is still classified as a Schedule I controlled substance at the federal level, the agency notes that “the general consensus is that psilocybin should not be a Schedule I drug and has proven medical benefits.” ” he said.
Charbonneau, the committee’s chairman, said late last year that he had already been in contact with officials at Indiana University Health and Purdue University about psychedelic research.
“I have had discussions with both IU Health and Purdue University,” he said. “I spoke with his 150 pharmacy students at Purdue and then had a chance to speak with the dean of the pharmacy program…and he texted Dr. Jerome Adams, who is now at Purdue. ”
Adams, a former U.S. Surgeon General under then-President Donald Trump, joined Purdue in October 2021. He has said little publicly about psychedelic-assisted therapy, but has previously claimed that “there is no such thing as medical marijuana.”
Indiana lawmakers are considering legalizing marijuana, but so far the Republican-led Legislature has taken no concrete steps toward reform. Another interim study group heard testimony in November about the possibility of decriminalizing simple marijuana possession, but the group made no specific recommendations.
Rep. Blake Johnson (D) recently wrote in an op-ed for Marijuana Moment that Indiana is “far behind” when it comes to marijuana as neighboring states legalize it. “I implore my fellow legislators to listen to the statistics. It’s time for Indiana to plant the seeds and reap the economic benefits of cannabis,” he wrote.
One supportive lawmaker is Congressman. Democratic Rep. Justin Moed tried to force a vote on marijuana legalization in the House last year, but Republicans rejected the proposal.
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When it comes to psychedelic drugs, Oregon and Colorado have already passed laws allowing therapeutic use of psilocybin at the state level, and other states are considering similar reforms. In California, for example, Democratic senators say they plan to introduce a revised psychedelic bill this year that focuses on providing regulated treatment access for certain psychedelic drugs, and the state’s current He claimed to be at an “inflection point.” problem.
In Massachusetts, Gov. Maura Healey (D) recently introduced a bill to establish a psychedelic task force to study and make recommendations on the potential therapeutic effects of substances such as psilocybin and MDMA on veterans. Campaign organizers in the state recently said they were confident they had collected enough valid signatures to force lawmakers to consider a psychedelic legalization initiative. It’s the first option for reform before activists move to put it on the state’s 2024 ballot.
Meanwhile, bipartisan lawmakers in Wisconsin have introduced a new bill that would create a psilocybin research pilot program in the state.
Last May, the governor of Washington signed a bill establishing a pilot program at the University of Washington to provide access to psychedelics for veterans and first responders to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mood. and substance use disorders.
A bill recently introduced for the new Congress in Washington would go further and legalize limited psilocybin therapy for veterans and first responders.
Rhode Island lawmakers also introduced a new measure that would temporarily eliminate penalties for using, possessing, cultivating, and sharing psilocybin, with further changes at the state level tied to the federal reform.
At the federal level, lawmakers held the first Congressional hearings on psychedelics late last year, focusing on how substances such as psilocybin and MDMA can help treat mental health issues faced by veterans. Testimony was given.
A recent panel discussion hosted by Harvard University featuring former Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials found that psychedelics like MDMA and psilocybin can help treat PTSD and reduce suicide rates. Speakers generally agreed that psychedelics have powerful potential, but they cautioned against using psychedelics too quickly without supervision due to the potential for further harm.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) also recently solicited proposals to develop psychedelics as treatments for substance use disorders (SUD) and will issue $2 million in grants for research projects in fiscal year 2025. announced that it was planned.
Most service members, veterans and their families support recommendations for marijuana and psychedelics by VA physicians
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