Legislation establishing a pilot program allowing hospitals to administer psilocybin and MDMA has become law without a signature from the governor.
Dried psilocybin (left) and MDMA (right).
Senate Bill 266, sponsored by Senate Majority Whip Kirk Cullimore (R) and House Speaker Pro Tempore James Dunnigan (R), was approved unanimously through both the House and Senate. Governor Spencer Cox (R) was given the option of signing it into law, vetoing it or allowing it to become law without a signature; he chose the latter. The measure will officially take effect on May 1.
Under the new law, psilocybin and MDMA could be administered by a privately owned and not-for-profit healthcare system that has 15 or more licensed hospitals, or is “closely affiliated with an institution of higher education”. Any healthcare system that decides to take part in the pilot program must inform the legislature by July 1, 2026.
The measure is set to sunset after three years, with lawmakers needing to pass a new law at that point if they would like to extend the program.
“I am generally supportive of scientific efforts to discover the benefits of new substances that can relieve suffering,” said Governor Cox in a statement. “However, we have a task force that was set up specifically to advise the Legislature on the best ways to study Psilocybin and I’m disappointed that their input was ignored.”
Cox did not elaborate on what advice was “ignored”.
You can find the full text of SB 266 by clicking here.
