Legislation that would have legalized access to psilocybin mushrooms has been vetoed by Governor Katie Hobbs (D).
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs (photo credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images).
“Today, I vetoed Senate Bill 1570”, said Governor Hobbs in a public statement. “The state’s psilocybin research advisory board established last year recently issued its annual report with a clear message: although psilocybin may be a promising treatment in the future, we do not yet have the evidence needed to support widespread clinical expansion.”
Hobbs says “Arizonans with depression and PTSD deserve access to treatments that may be seen as outside the mainstream, but they should not be the subject of experiments for unproven therapies with a lack of appropriate guardrails.”
The measure was passed with overwhelming support in both the House and Senate, with the votes being 42 to 16 and 24 to 4. This indicates the measure has enough support to override a governor’s veto, but it’s uncertain if the legislature will take this action.
If enacted, the measure would have legalized psilocybin therapy centers where individuals could have legally consume psilocybin in a medical, supervised setting with trained staff constantly available. Licensing for these centers woul dhave be handled by the Department of Human Services (DHS). Additionally, an Arizona Psilocybin Advisory Board would be established under the bill, tasked with overseeing training criteria for those working at service centers and recommending potential law changes to lawmakers.
You can find more information on Senate Bill 1570, including its full text, by clicking here.
