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Two states have legalized medical uses of psychedelic mushrooms, but Washington state lawmakers want more information on the benefits before following suit.
Driving the news: In early May, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed Senate Bill 5263, which creates a task force to explore the issue and authorizes the University of Washington School of Medicine to study the potential therapeutic value of the psychedelic compound found in mushrooms.
The bill allocates $1.4 million for the pilot program and efficacy study, which will include 30 to 40 military veterans and first responders with documented post-traumatic stress and alcohol use disorders.
Why it matters: Research on the potential efficacy of psychedelics in treating mental health disorders ceased when psilocybin, along with LSD and mescaline, were designated Schedule 1 drugs in 1970 by the United States Drug Enforcement Agency as part of the war on drugs.
But in the last few years, Oregon and Colorado passed bills that both decriminalize psilocybin and also legalize its supervised use, opening a path to what some researchers believe is a promising field of treatment for depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Additionally, some cities, including Seattle, decriminalized growing and sharing psilocybin mushrooms.
