Legislation to establish a psilocybin taskforce and pilot program has officially been sent to Washington State Governor Jay Inslee.
Washington’s House of Representatives voted earlier this week to pass Senate Bill 5263, with it having already passed the Senate. However, amendments made in the House created a need for the Senate to give the measure one final vote before it could be sent to Governor Inslee. That vote took place today, with the Senate voting 40 to 4 on final passage.
Governor Inslee now has the option of signing it into law, vetoing it or allowing it to become law without his signature. Worth noting is that the measure passed both chambers with well more than the 2/3rds required to override an executive veto.
If Senate Bill 5263 becomes law it will establish a task force designed to research psilocybin, the psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms, and create a pathway to full legalization. The proposal will also establish a pilot program for supervised psilocybin use for first responders and military veterans.
The legislation, filed by Senator Jesse Salomon along with a bipartisan coalition of 21 cosponsors, creates the Washington Psilocybin Advisory Board within the Department of Health. The Senate amended the bill to only include the research provisions, but a House committee amended it further to include the pilot program. The version of the bill being sent to Governor Inslee includes the pilot program.
According to a legislative summary, the bill:
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Establishes the Psilocybin Advisory Board (Board) within theDepartment of Health (DOH) to provide advice and recommendations tothe DOH, the Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB), and the WashingtonState Department of Agriculture (WSDA).
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Creates an Interagency Work Group of the DOH, the LCB, and theWSDA to provide advice and recommendations, in regular updates, tothe Board on developing a comprehensive regulatory framework for aregulated psilocybin system, and other specified topics.
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Requires the Health Care Authority to establish a Psilocybin Task Force,which must provide a final report to the Governor and Legislature byDecember 1, 2023, on specified topics including clinical information on psilocybin use and regulatory structures for clinical psilocybin use.
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Grants the DOH certain duties, functions, and powers relating toinformation regarding the safety and efficacy of using psilocybin to treatmental health conditions; rulemaking authority; and other specifiedpowers relating to psilocybin.
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Establishes the Psilocybin Therapy Services Pilot Program within theUniversity of Washington Department of Psychiatry and BehavioralSciences.
The full text of the bill can be found by clicking here.
