Missouri’s full Senate is scheduled to vote tomorrow on legislation that would facilitate research on the therapeutic use of psilocybin mushrooms.
Dried psilocybin mushrooms.
Senate Bill 768 was prefiled by Senator Holly Thompson Rehder in December, and it was approved through the Senate Emerging Issues Committee in March. Tomorrow, the measure is scheduled to receive consideration by the full Senate, with approval sending it to the House of Representatives.
According to its official summary, under this act “any person who acquires, uses, produces, possesses, transfers, or administers psilocybin for the person’s own therapeutic use shall not be subject to state or local criminal or civil penalties if the person:
(1) is a Missouri veteran,
(2) is 21 years of age or older,
(3) suffers from a condition listed in the act,
(4) has enrolled or sought to be enrolled in a study regarding the use of psilocybin to treat such conditions,
(5) informs the Department of Mental Health that such person plans to acquire, use, produce, possess, transfer, or administer psilocybin under this act,
(6) provides the Department with specified documentation and information,
(7) ensures the psilocybin is tested in a licensed laboratory, and
(8) limits the use of psilocybin to no more than 150 milligrams of psilocybin analyte during any 12-month period. “
The measure states that the Department “shall provide grants totaling $3 million dollars for research on the use and efficacy of psilocybin for the treatment of conditions listed in the act, with such appropriation being made from the Opioid Addiction Treatment and Recovery Fund.”
The Department shall also “prepare annual reports for the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and the General Assembly on the implementation and outcomes of psilocybin use under this act.”
The measure states that “No state agency shall disclose to the federal government or any unauthorized third party the statewide list or any individual information of persons who meet the requirements of this act.”
Additionally, “this act modifies current law on the use of investigational drugs and devices for individuals with terminal illnesses to include individuals with life-threatening or severely debilitating conditions or illnesses. Currently, investigational drugs shall not include Schedule I controlled substances. This act repeals that prohibition.
Finally, “this act requires the Department, in collaboration with a Missouri university hospital or contract research organizations conducting FDA-approved trials, to conduct a study on the efficacy of using alternative medicine and therapies, including, but not limited to, the use of psilocybin, for the treatment of patients suffering post-traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, substance use disorders, or who require end-of-life care, as described in the act. Such study shall include a study of the use of psilocybin to treat such conditions, as well as a literature review and the submission of various reports. No person participating in the study shall be subject to criminal or civil liability or sanction for participating, except in cases of gross negligence or willful misconduct.”
If the measure is approved through the Senate the House, it will be sent to Governor Mike Parson for final consideration.
