The psychedelic compound psilocybin “showed promise in treating depression and anxiety, with notable safety profiles”, according to a new study.

Dried psilocybin mushrooms.

“The purpose of this review was to provide a narrative of published articles that investigated the effect of psilocybin, which has been designated as a “breakthrough therapy” by the FDA, in the treatment of depression”, states the study, published in the May, 2024 issue of the journal Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience. “FDA designated psilocybin as a “breakthrough therapy” for the treatment of treatment-resistant depression (TRD) in 2018. This paper provided a review of psilocybin’s potential role in treatment of depression by focusing on published clinical trials.”

The abstract of the study, which was also published online by the US National Institute of Health, states that numerous studies have shown that “psilocybin manifests antidepressant and anxiolytic effects by increasing glutamate transmission, reducing brain inflammation, decreasing default mode network activity.”
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Legislation to legalize marijuana cafés in California has been passed by a second committee in the state’s Assembly.

Assembly Bill 1775, filed by Rep. Matt Haney (D), was given approval yesterday by the Committee on Governmental Organization, with the vote being 13 to 2. The measure, which now heads to a third and final reading of the full Assembly, was passed through the Committee on Business and Professions earlier this month 14 to 2.

The proposed law would “authorize a local jurisdiction, if specified conditions are met, to allow for the preparation or sale of noncannabis food or beverage products, as specified, by a licensed retailer or microbusiness in the area where the consumption of cannabis is allowed, and to allow, and to sell tickets for, live musical or other performances on the premises of a licensed retailer or microbusiness in the area where the consumption of cannabis is allowed.”
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Louisiana legislation that would extend the sunset period for Louisiana’s medical marijuana pilot program by five and a half years has been passed by the state’s full legislature.

Louisiana’s House of Representatives gave approval yesterday to Senate Bill 228, filed by Senator Patrick McMath. The measure was approved last month through the state’s Senate by an overwhelming 32 to 5 vote. Given the measure was amended in the House, it will need to go back for one final vote of concurrence in the Senate before it can be sent to Governor Jeff Landry for consideration.

Louisiana’s medical marijuana pilot program was established by lawmakers in 2022. The program allows Louisiana State University and Southern University to legally produce  marijuana for therapeutic use, with the production and distribution of medical marijuana is under the regulatory authority of the Louisiana Department of Health.
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A second committee in California’s Senate has given approval to a bill to legalize therapeutic access to a handful of psychedelic substances.

Mescaline (top left), DMT (top right), dried psilocybin mushrooms (bottom left), and MDMA (bottom right).

By a vote of 3 to 2, the Senate Health Committee has voted to pass Senate Bill 1012 Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee voted 7 to 4 today to pass Senate Bill 1012, The Regulated Psychedelic Facilitators Act and the Regulated Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Act.

The Senate Health Committee’s approval of the bill comes a week after the measure was passed through the  Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee by a vote of 7 to 4. The bill now moves to the Senate Appropriations Committee, with approval sending it to the full Senate.
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South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws has collected more than 12,500 signatures for their marijuana legalization campaign.

In 2020 an initiative to legalize marijuana, also put forth by South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws, was approved by voters during the general election ballot. Due to a technicality, it was subsequently thrown out by the courts. In 2022 a similar initiative was placed on the ballot but rejected by voters 47% to 53%.

Now, South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws says it has collected over 12,500 signatures, 71% of their goal of 17,508, the required number to put the measure to a vote this November. The group has until May 7 to reach this number.
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Maine Governor Janet Mills has signed into law a bill to allow those with convictions for possessing or cultivating marijuana to have the charges sealed (completely hidden) from their criminal record.

(Photo credit: Shutterstock.com).

Governor Mills has signed House Bill 2236 into law, following a 90 to 57 vote in the House of Representatives and a 27 to 8 vote in the state’s Senate.

The new law will implement a Criminal Records Review Committee recommendation to add to the definition of “eligible criminal conviction” for the Maine Revised Statutes, “which identifies what is considered an eligible underlying crime for a person to file a post-judgment motion to seal criminal history record information related to the conviction for that crime, any Class D crime related to unlawfully possessing or cultivating marijuana when that crime was committed prior to January 30, 2017, the effective date of Maine’s first adult use cannabis laws.”
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A group of lawmakers led by Congressmembers Morgan Luttrell (R-TX) and Morgan McGarvey (D-KY) have sent a letter to Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health Shereef Elnahal requesting the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to produce a strategic plan to implement MDMA therapy in-house if it’s approved by FDA.

MDMA tablets, often referred to as “ecstasy”.

“The effects of emerging therapies for our veterans have been groundbreaking, and I’m proud to be a leader on pushing forward this innovative tool into the proverbial toolbox, especially while moving away from opioids,” said Congressmember Luttrell in a press release. “As the FDA is finally playing ball to move towards approving these therapies, it’s critical we ensure the VA has an implementation plan and can effectively and efficiently treat veterans.”

Congressmember McGarvey said “VA is the leader in mental health care for veterans, and its providers’ specialized knowledge in treating issues such as combat trauma and military sexual trauma is unmatched by any other healthcare system in this country. We want to be prepared to support the VA in leading the nation through expanded research and clinical implementation of this novel care model, ensuring veterans receive access to the highest quality mental health care available.”
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Hawaii’s full legislature has given approval to legislation to facilitate marijuana expungements, sending it to Governor Josh Green.

The House has given final approval to House Bill 1595, with the vote being 41 to 9. The measure has already been passed by the Senate, 24 to 1. Governor Green is expected to sign the measure into law.

“Recognizing the limited resources of the Hawaiʻi criminal justice data center, the purpose of this Act is to establish a pilot project, to be administered by the department of the attorney general, to expunge certain arrest records and other records pertaining to prior arrests made under section 712-1249, Hawaii Revised Statutes, concerning the possession of less than one ounce of marijuana”, states the bill’s text.
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