Quick links that talk about the legality of the industry
A bill was filed in Maryland to offer free psychedelic therapy to veterans with PTSD and promote psychedelic research.
Maine lawmakers rejected a bill that would legalize medical use of psilocybin after an 8-3 vote. The bill’s sponsor says she’s not surprised, however “society is changing, and the science is moving quickly, so it’s a matter of when, and not if, legislation like this passes in the future.”
Activists in Washington filed an initiative to decriminalize simple drug possession statewide and give $150M in annual funding to substance abuse prevention, recovery, research, and education.
The measure could appear on the ballot this November if enough signatures are collected.
The Oregon Health Authority released the first draft of rules for the state’s legal psilocybin program. Only one of 200 species of psilocybin mushrooms will be allowed (psilocybe cubensis, the most popular species) and synthetic psilocybin will be banned. Plus, facilitators will need 120 hours of instruction on psilocybin history, safety, racial justice, and cultural equity.
Health Canada denied dozens of healthcare practitioners access to psilocybin therapy training by rejecting their section 56 exemption applications. Now, clinical trials will likely be the only way to get experience with the psychedelic.
TheraPsil, the non-profit that helped with the applications, says that this will impact over one thousand practitioners on their waitlist for psilocybin training and several thousand patients seeking care.
Washington’s initiative to legalize guided psilocybin sessions will not pass, according to the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Jesse Salomon.
He explains that there are concerns of facilities losing federal revenue for offering the services, and that the Department of Health is too busy with Covid to implement new regulatory framework.
A ballot measure was filed in Michigan to legalize possession, cultivation, and sharing of a range of psychedelics and implement a system for therapeutic and spiritual use.
If enacted, psilocybin, psilocyn, ibogaine, mescaline, peyote and DMT would be legalized for adults 18 and older.
A lawsuit filed by a physician and his cancer patients against the DEA for denying access to psilocybin therapy was rejected by the Court of Appeals.
The panel of judges determined that the agency is not at fault because it does not have the authority to waive the Controlled Substances Act.
A second ballot initiative has been filed in Colorado to decriminalize the possession, cultivation, and gifting of psilocybin, psilocyn, ibogaine, mescaline and DMT. It would also legalize guided psychedelic sessions for therapeutic or spiritual purposes.
The first measure is focused on legalizing psilocybin and creating psilocybin healing centers.
A measure that would have decriminalized therapeutic psilocybin in Virginia was defeated by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The bill’s sponsor plans to bring the bill back next year.
