Posted on 04/22/2025 11:45:35 AM PDT by DFG
The Iowa House passed legislation Monday to legalize the use of psilocybin, the psychoactive compound found in “magic mushrooms,” for psychiatric treatment through a state program.
House File 978, passed 84-6, would establish a Psilocybin Production Establishment Licensing Board within the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, operating in a similar fashion to the existing Medical Cannabidiol Advisory Board that oversees Iowa’s medical cannabis program. The board would grant licenses for the production and administration of products with psilocybin to people with certain mental health needs in the state.
The bill also sets new requirements for who can access the substance, including an age 21 restriction and limit of 5,000 patients who can be recommended psilocybin treatment.
Rep. John Wills, R-Spirit Lake, the floor manager for the bill, said he would not have guessed that he would be involved in a bill on psilocybin before this year because “it’s just not something that I’m into.” But he said after learning more about the effectiveness of psilocybin treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, he believed the program will help people suffering in Iowa, like military veterans, law enforcement officers and other groups that face high rates of PTSD.
He said the bill requires people to receive psilocybin in a clinical environment with psychiatric support. In this environment, he said, the drug has been shown to allow people to “relive” their trauma in a controlled, safe space, and be able to resolve or lessen the impacts of PTSD. Wills said he believes this method could help address the high suicide rates of veterans and others suffering from the disorder, and offers a better alternative to other forms of PTSD treatment currently available.
(Excerpt) Read more at iowacapitaldispatch.com ...
I view this with a lot of skepticism.
Remember the “Cannabis can solve all ills!” crowd?
I’d be interested to see how this turns out. My guess is that it doesn’t turn out well at all
About every ten or fifteen years, someone comes up with the bright idea of using a hallucinogen as a medication for mental illness. It somehow gets launched with high hopes but always ends with a whimper. Having saps for legislators doesn’t help.
Anyone with mental issues DEFINITELY does not want to be tripping on mushrooms. That’s some heavy freaking stuff even when you are mentally and physically prepared for it. I can’t see this going well - all hell could break loose with some mental psychopath taking mushrooms prescribed by a doctor and offing himself and other people on a bad trip. This is a lefty vote grab and very uncool and unsafe.
My guess is it would be very low doses administered in a controlled environment, etc.
I’m okay with a natural/organic substance as a remedy for mental issues-it is probably much safer, with fewer side effects than drugs-but shouldn’t there be some clinical trials before releasing it to be prescribed, so that any adverse reactions can be documented? Give it a label with warnings, like drugs and even food?
Agree, it’s a terrible idea for treating mental illness.
For norma people might be OK. Unless it’s addictive.
Thank you-we already have people using prescribed psychotropic drugs committing mass shootings when they have a psychotic episode. This needs to be backed off and some controlled clinical trials done, IMO...
(In my best Tommy Chong voice)
“Hey…uh…man. Like, I got PSDP.. uh, I mean, like PPTP…uh, you know what I mean, man. Just gimme the shrooms, man, OK?”
Psychoactive substances of any kind are a real risk to anyone-I had a friend in college who ended up in a psych facility in a near-catatonic state for 5 months after a bad trip on windowpane acid-he came out of it, but he was never the person he had been again. As a comp case manager, I’ve seen clients zombied out from all kinds of drugs/substances legal and illegal. Just another reason I’ve been a totally drug-free, all organic naturalist most of my adult life...
One of my friends lost his mind smoking too much weed. He should have known better because two of his relatives had been committed to mental institutions, one for attempted murder.
I have to wonder how many more people are going to be psychotic...the smell of weed is everywhere. Even when you’re in your car with the window up and it’s raining (not kidding). And it’s so much stronger now than it was in the 80s.
What do you think?
I took on adult responsibilities at age 16, over my parents’ objections, and I did my best to show them I was up to the task by conducting myself as an adult at school, work and home. I do not regret my decision...
I realize that is not for everyone-but by the age of 18 at least, anyone should be responsible for themselves-including being self-aware enough to know that irresponsible use of drugs and alcohol, childish/illegal behavior, etc will not only their health and whether they remain alive and don’t get arrested, but also the way others react to them well into the future-it seems simple enough to me. Just because a substance/drug is legally available, that does not mean you should smoke, drink or snort it-and f*** the peer pressure-bad judgement can be detrimental to your health and life, as well as to others...
“affect their health” duh...
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