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.
Oregon legislators filed a bill to form a 15-member task force to ensure that access to legal psilocybin services is equitable for all. It will focus on removing barriers for minorities and people with low income.
The first bill would promote research focused on treating depression and anxiety in veterans.
The second would promote research into 10 different conditions and reduce the penalty for psilocybin possession to a fine.
But one question remains unanswered: will the new program include microdosing?
For the past year, the Oregon Health Authority has been planning the regulatory framework to implement Measure 109, which legalized psilocybin sessions under the care of licensed facilitators. The program is on schedule to roll out at the beginning of 2023.
At the latest public Zoom meeting, a push to include microdosing in the program received backlash from some advisory board members, but others thought it was worth considering. Members have until the end of June to reach a consensus.
A Utah Rep., Brady Brammer, filed a bill that would establish a task force to research the therapeutic potential of psychedelics.
“Utah has some of the finest researchers in the areas of psychiatry and neurosciences at Huntsman Mental Health Institute,” he said. “This bill seeks to leverage that expertise, along with other experts grappling with mental illness, to review the research results, and if appropriate, make recommendations on how to safely administer these therapeutics under the care of qualified physicians.”
A Kansas legislator filed a bill to legalize the possession of up to 50 grams of psilocybin or psilocin, as well as the cultivation of psilocybin mushrooms. Possessing 50-100 grams would be considered a civil offense with a fine of up to $250. Possessing over 100 grams would be a misdemeanor with a fine of up to $500 and up to one month in jail.
Representatives from seven US states (Oregon, Nebraska, Michigan, Arizona, Texas, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania) have submitted a letter urging the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to allow terminally-ill patients access to psilocybin treatments. The lawmakers believe that psilocybin qualifies as an investigational drug and should therefore be accessible through Right to Try laws.
Virginia lawmakers introduced a bill to reduce the penalty for possessing peyote, ibogaine, psilocybin, or psilocin from a Class 5 felony to a $100 fine.
A separate bill has been filed that’s nearly identical, except it focuses on psilocybin and psilocin only.
